THE CEOW. 523 



the intervening hilla, a few feet above the trees : but when the 

 sky is calm and clear, they pass through the heavens at a great 

 height, in regular and easy flight." 



This custom of the Eooks is the more curious because it is 

 hardly possible to conceive any roosting-place which would be 

 more acceptable to a sensible bird than the woods within the 

 confines of Walton Hall. As has already been mentioned, the 

 birds will occasionally rest for a while in those pleasant woods, 

 though they ultimately take wing for the accustomed roosting- 

 place. There is plenty of space for them; they have their 

 choice of trees on which to settle, and the lofty wall which 

 surrounds them ensures their freedom from all disturbance. 



Veey similar in general aspect to the rook, the Cbow (Corvus 

 coroTie) builds a nest which resembles that of the rook in outward 

 form, but is easily distinguished by an experienced eye. The 

 lining of the nest is made of animal instead of vegetable sub- 

 stances, hair and wool taking the place of fibrous roota 



Viewed from the foot of the tree, the nest of the Crow is 

 nothing but a large and nearly shapeless bimdle of sticks, but 

 when the enterprising naturalist has climbed to the summit of 

 the tree in which it is placed, and can look into the nest, he is 

 always gratified by the peculiarly neat and smooth workmanship 

 of the aerial home. The outside of the nest is rough and rugged 

 enough, but the inner nest, which is made of rabbit's-fur, wool, 

 and hair, is woven into a basin-Uke form, beautifully smooth, 

 soft, and elastic. On this bed repose the eggs, which are some- 

 what like those of the rook, but darker and greener, and more 

 thickly spotted, though they are ertremely variable in size and 

 colour, and sometimes resemble so closely those of the rook that 

 the distinction can hardly be detected. 



The Crow always builds at the tops of trees, and has a won- 

 derful knack of choosing those which are most difScidt of ascent. 

 The nests are plentiful enough, but the proportion of eggs taken 

 is very small in comparison. There ai-e some nests which bafSe 

 almost any one to rob successfully. An experienced nest-hunter 

 is always endowed with a strong head, and ought to be perfectly 

 at his ease on the summit of the loftiest trees, even though he 

 should be obliged to crawl in fly-fashion under a branch, to 

 hang by one hand while he takes the eggs with the other, or to 



