The Zoologist — October, 1869. 1885 



of ihe species in a state of nature is a refreshing and soothing change : 

 here it is : — 



The Siskin. — " It was in the first week in January, 1848, that I saw 

 a large flock of sixt}' or seventy, who were busily occupied in extract- 

 ing the seeds from the berries of a group of alders in Rufford Park. 

 I was riding near the trees when my attention was attracted by the 

 birds rising from them : the action was a most singular one, for so 

 simultaneous was the flight of the flock, and so exactly alike was the 

 movement of each individual composing it, that it was just as if all 

 were regulated by one will instead of many. In this compact phalanx 

 they wheeled about for a few turns, uttering at the same time a shrill 

 twitter, and again alighted on the trees and commenced feeding, 

 suffering me to approach within half a dozen yards of them ; and at 

 this distance I watched them carefully with extreme pleasure. While 

 engaged in picking the seeds from the alder berries, they clung in 

 every imaginable or unimaginable position, exactly like the blue tit- 

 mice, of which they strongly reminded me, and, like that species, 

 hanging with the back downwards as often as otherwise. After ob- 

 serving them for some time, I roused them from their employment 

 with a stone, being curious to witness again their beautiful evolutions, 

 which were performed exactly as before : they did not seem at all 

 alarmed at my interference, but again descended en masse and re- 

 commenced their occupation." — p. 118. 



It is always with unmixed satisfaction that I read any plea for the 

 bird against his ruthless destroyer, man. Taking an isolated case, and 

 watching a well-to-do liberal-minded and generally humane man, 

 seeing him load his gun morning after morning throughout the summer, 

 and walking leisurely round his garden looking out for some little 

 bird to kill, under the idea that it might steal a gooseberry or a currant, 

 one really would be apt to think that he was exhibiting symptoms of 

 incipient insanity ; but in England this is so commonly the case that 

 it passes, not only without any expression of disapprobation, but is 

 considered "respectable" and "English'" — two words that cover 

 almost the whole of our transgressions. 



Rooks. — " In some parts of the country the agriculturists are not 

 so conversant with the habits of the rook, and I know that in one 

 localit}' in an eastern county a large rookery was destroyed under the 

 belief of the farmers that its inhabitants were hostile to their interests 

 and consumed a large quantity of corn. But mark the result. Two 

 years passed away, and the farmers congratulated themselves on being 



