172 Rooks 2Md Rookeries. By James Small. 



ROOKERIES DESTROYED. 

 A large rookery was destroyed by 



the late Mr Douglas at Cavers. 



The birds were shot and the 



nests torn down. A small rook- 

 ery near Wolf elee House was dis- 



troyed in a similar manner many 



years ago. One rookery des- 

 troyed at Arks, by beeping up 



night fires. Rookeries at Floors 



and Roxburgh, destroyed by 



pulling down the nests. The 



HaUrule rookery was similarly 



destroyed. 

 In the early part of the century, 



and for generations before that, 



there was a large rookery near 



Jedburgh called the Auld Wood : 



but I am unable to state why or 



how the rooks left that fine shel- 

 tering wood. It was of fine 



massive old Scots fir ; and it was 



nearly all blown down in a storm 



ROOKERIES IN WHICH ROOKS RESIDE IN WINTER. 



forty six years ago. 



It is somewhat surprising that 

 there are so few nests in Jed 

 Forest, where shelter and protec- 

 tion is so abundant. 



Upwards of sixty years ago, a large 

 rookery was destroyed at Mon- 

 teviot. Firing 'guns and shooting 

 down birds produced little effect; 

 but a band of boys was at last 

 employed for a short time in the 

 nesting season with bows and 

 arrows. The latter were long 

 and of peeled wood, and were 

 shot up among the nests, which 

 so terrified the rooks that they 

 have never built a nest at Mon- 

 teviot since. A thin stick held 

 toward even a tame rook or 

 Jackdaw, or indeed almost any 

 bird, causes great excitement 

 and terror. 



Mackside. 

 Longnewton. 

 Stirches. 

 Clifton Park. 



Stobs. 

 Wells. 

 Ancrum. 

 Marlfield. 

 SELKIRKSHIRE. 



Netherbams, very small. 

 Tushielaw, small. 

 Newbiirgh, small. 

 Kershope, small. 

 Tinnis, smaU. 

 Holylee, medium. 

 SunderlandHall, very large. 



Galashiels, in the town, once 



pretty large, but from 'the 



growth of the town many of the 



nesfc-trees have had to be cut 



down. In some gardens nests 



are built about fifteen feet from 



the ground, on slender poplars. 

 Fairnalee, small. 



The rookeries in this county are pretty old and birds are in- 

 creasing rapidly. Sunderland Hall rookery is of well-grown 

 Scots fir. 



ROOKERIES DESTROYED. 

 Newhall rookery, Caddon Water, destroyed by cutting down the trees. 



ROOKERIES IN WHICH ROOKS RESIDE IN WINTER. 

 Sunderland Hall. I Tinnis. 



Tushielaw. I 



PEEBLESHIRE. 

 Castle Craig, very large. 

 Barns, near Peebles, medium. 

 Castle hill, Manor Water. 



Dawick (Posso) small. 

 Kailzie, large, age 100 years. 

 Portmore (3) small, all of recent 



date. 

 Traquair, medium, age upwards 



of 100 years. 

 Hallmanor, small. 

 Harehope, small. 

 Shielgreen, small. 

 Boreland, small. 

 Rachan. 

 Mossfennan. 

 Killbucho. 



