Rooks and Rookeries. By James Small. 173 



EOOKEEIES DESTEOYED. 



Lyne rookery, by cutting down th.e 



from this crossed over to Port- 

 more, and settled in a wood there; 

 and as the late respected proprie- 

 tor did not wish to have them in 

 that wood he had them driven off, 

 and they then settled in the pre- 

 sent rookery, where they still 

 remain ; but five year ago some 

 left and took up a new abode on 

 the estate. 



Stobo rookery, by shooting, and by 



pulling down nests. 

 Damhall, by shooting and pulling 



down nests 

 A small rookery at Dawick was cut 



down. 'It is said that the herons 



drove the rooks from this wood.'' 

 Damhall rookery was destroyed 



several years ago. The rooks 



EOOKEEIES m "WHICH EOOKS. EESIDE IN WINTEE : 

 Castle Craig. I Barns. 



Kailzie. | 



Mr Ainslie, Stobo, reports that " thousands of rooks reside in 

 the Stobo woods all the winter." • 



The foregoing lists show that over and above pretty numerous 

 small clusters of trees on which rooks nest, there are 



EOOKEEIES : 





In Berwickshire, 



39. 



„ Northumberland 



147. 



,, Eoxburghshire 



88. 



,, Selkirkshire 



9. 



„ Peebleshire 



16. 



Total rookeries in the five counties, 



299. 



The winter rookeries are : — 





In Berwickshire, 



6. 



„ Northumberland, 



14. 



„ Eoxburghshire, 



9. 



,, Selkirkshire, 



3. 



,, Peebleshire, 



3. 



Total winter rookeries, 35. 

 I feel all but certain that some errors have been made in re- 

 gard to the number reported to me of winter rookeries. From 

 observations I have made regarding the habits of rooks, I make 

 out that they, in numerous instances, fly long distances to their 

 respective winter residences, which are few ; and it is (in my 

 opinion) probable that some ordinary breeding rookeries have 

 been reported as winter habitations, because of the rooks being 

 often seen visiting these in the winter months. Jackdaws, I may 

 mention, are reported of by several correspondents as roosting 

 and nesting numerously in the winter rookeries. 



