Young Rooks in Danger 217 



dozen or so which it is best to leave a week or a fortnight 

 later than the rest. 



When the young birds begin to quit the nests, and 

 are observed perching on the tree or fluttering from branch 

 to branch, they must not be left much longer before shoot- 

 ing, or they will wander and be lost. A very few days 

 will then make all the difference; and so it has often 

 happened that men expecting to make a great bag have 

 been quite disappointed, notwithstanding the evident 

 number of nests ; the shooting has been held a day or so 

 too late. The young birds get the use of their wings very 

 quickly, and their instinct rather seems to be to wander 

 than to remain in the immediate vicinity of their birth- 

 place. 



Some think that the old birds endeavour to entice 

 them away as much as possible, knowing what is coming. 

 It may be doubted if that is the case with respect to the 

 very young birds ; but when the young ones are capable 

 of something like extended flight, and can cross a field 

 without much difficulty, I think the parents do attempt to 

 lead them away. When the shooting is in progress, if 

 you will go a little distance from the rookery, out of the 

 excitement of the sport, you may sometimes see two old 

 rooks, one on each side of a young one, cawing to it with 

 all their might. The young bird is, perhaps, on the 

 ground, or on a low hedge, and the old birds are evidently 

 endeavouring to get it to move. Yet they have not 

 learned the only way in which that can be done — i.e. by 

 starting themselves and flying a short distance, and 

 waiting, when the young bird will almost invariably 

 follow. 



If you approach the trio the two old birds at once take 

 flight, seeing your gun, and the young bird in a few 



