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284 Wild Life in a Southern County. 
has its special district, its own canton and city, in its 
own trees away in the meadows, Later on they all 
meet here in the evening. It is a full hour or more 
before the orations have all been delivered, and even 
then small bands rush up into the air still dissatisfied. 
This great stream of rooks passing over the hills 
meets another great stream as it approaches the wood, 
crossing up from the meadows. From the rampart 
there may be seen, perhaps a mile and a half away, 
a dim black line crossing at right angles—converging 
on the wood, which itself stands on the edge of the 
table-land from which the steeper downs arise. This 
second army is every whit as numerous, as lengthy, 
and as regular in its route as the first. 
Every morning, from the beech trees where they 
have slept, safe at that elevation from all the dangers 
of the night, there set out these two vast expeditionary 
corps. Regularly the one flies steadily eastward over 
the downs; as regularly the other flies steadily north- 
wards over the vale and meadows. Doubtless in 
different country districts their habits in this respect 
vary; but here it is always east and always north. If 
any leave the wood for the south or the west, as 
probably they do, they go in small bodies and are 
quickly lost sight of. The two main divisions sail 
towards the sunrise and towards the north star. 
They preserve their ranks for at least two miles 
from the wood; and then gradually first one and then 
another company falls out, and wheeling round, 
