Different Flight of Young Birds. 269 
do not then at once endeavour to make for the open 
country or to spread abroad, but appear rather to cling 
to the place, as if the old nests could shelter them. 
After a while they begin to understand the danger of 
this proceeding, and half an hour's rapid firing causes 
the birds to spread about and get into the trees in 
the hedges at some distance. There of course they 
are pursued, or killed the next day, three-quarters of 
a mile or more away from hoine. It is rare for old 
rooks to get shot, for the reason above stated : they 
tise into the air out of reach. Those that are killed 
are generally such as have lingered in the hope to 
save a young bird, and are mistaken and shot as young 
themselves. ' 
Young birds may be easily distinguished by their 
slow uncertain flight and general appearance of not 
knowing exactly where to go or what todo. They 
are specially easy to pick out if you see them about 
to perch on a tree. They go at the tree anyhow, 
crash in among the branches, and rather fall on a 
perch than choose it. The old bird always enters a 
tree carefully, as if he did not like to ruffle his 
feathers, and knew precisely what sort of bough he 
preferred to settle on. Close to the rookery there is 
no need to wait to pick out the young birds, because 
they are all sure to be young birds there ; but, as ob- 
served, old birds will linger with young ones at a little 
distance, and may then be mistaken—as also on the 
following day, when sportsmen go round to pick up 
