74 BIBDS IN LONDON 



about once more ; but lie elected to stay with 

 his benefactress, although he always spent a 

 portion of each day in flying about the country 

 in company with his fellows. He had various 

 ways of showing his partiality for his mistress, 

 one of which was very curious. Early every 

 morning he flew into her bedroom by the open 

 window, and alighting on her bed would deposit 

 a small offering on the pillow — a horse-chestnut 

 bur, a little crooked stick, a bleached rabbit 

 bone, a pebble, a bit of rusty iron, which he 

 had picked up and regarded as a suitable 

 present. Whatever it was, it had to be accepted 

 with demonstrations of gratitude and affection. 

 If she took no notice he would lift it up and 

 replace it again, calling attention to it with 

 little subdued exclamations which sounded like 

 words, and if she feigned sleep he would gently 

 pull her hair or tap her cheek with his bill to 

 awake her. Once the present was accepted he 

 would nestle in under her arm and remain so, 

 very contentedly, until she got up. 



Here we get a delightful little peep into the 

 workings of the rook's mind. We ourselves, 

 our great philosopher tells us, are ' hopelessly ' 

 anthropomorphic. The rook appears to be in as 



