THE ROOK. 319 



justly accused of having had valuable stolen property in its posses- 

 sion : some lace of a fine and costly kind, spread out to dry, at 

 Nelson Hill, Youghal, was lost to the owner for some time, but 

 eventually discovered in the nests of a rookery in the adjoining 

 demesne. Th'at the rook will sometimes carry building materials 

 a considerable way, I once had evidence by observing one 

 bearing a quantity of hay to its nest, a mile distant, and how 

 much farther off it was picked up, was unknown. 



I was informed by Richard Langtry, Esq., in the spring of 

 1831, that a pair of herons having built in the rookery at 

 Dromedaragh, county of Antrim, the rooks tore the first nest 

 to pieces, but the herons eventually succeeded, and reared their 

 brood in safety. A few years before that time, about one hundred 

 and fifty young rooks had been killed there during a storm, by 

 being blown out of the nests. Among adult birds, there was an 

 extraordinary fatality in the county of Westmeath on the night of 

 the great hurricane of January 7 th, 1839. As noticed by me, in a 

 communication to the Annals of Natural History,* Mr. Ball was 

 assured by Dean Vignolles, on whose property the circumstance 

 occurred, that the amazing number of 33,000 f were picked up 

 dead on the shores of a lake some miles in length, and with ex- 

 tensive rookeries on its borders. So remarkably numerous were 



* Note on the Effects of the Hurricane of January 7, 1839, in Ireland, on some 

 Birds, Fishes, &c, vol. iii. p. 182. 



f Were a figure taken off the above number, it would be reduced to what I have 

 remarked to constitute a respectable rookery. Mr. Jesse, too, states that "the 

 average number of rooks' nests, during the last four years, in the avenue of Hampton 

 Court Part, has been about 750 ; allowing three young birds and a pair of old ones 

 to each nest, the number would amount to 3750." — Gleanings, p. 65, 1st edit. 



A few years ago, these birds were considered too abundant at Purdysbum, near Bel- 

 fast, and a thinning of their numbers was commenced when the young were "branchers," 

 — a very fatal time. During three weeks, about twenty dozen a day were sacrificed, 

 — a number, which in eighteen days would amount to 4,320, and yet they were only 

 thinned. Sir Wm. Jardine is of opinion, that the rookery at Jardine Hall, which 

 cannot be called a very large one, contains not less than 12,000 birds. A few years 

 ago, when he wished to diminish them — as they are considered injurious when very 

 numerous, though useful when kept within due bounds — 3,000, were killed. 



As that gentleman has remarked to me, he can well imagine vast numbers of 

 rooks being killed, by being blown against the trees, and into the lake, during such a 

 tremendous hurricane as the one alluded to. He was once witness to a covey of about 

 a dozen partridges, flying very rapidly down the river at Dryburgh, during a high 

 wind, when six of them were blown against the chains of the suspension bridge, and 

 fell dead beneath. 



