224 Wild Life in a Sotdhem County 



turning yellow, and where the grain is not yet developed. 

 Except perhaps where they are very numerous, they do 

 much more good than harm. 



Rooks may now and then be seen in the autumn, on 

 the hayricks ; they pull the thatch out, and will do in this 

 way an injury to the roof. Therefore old black bottles are 

 often placed on the thatch in order to scare them. It is 

 said that they pull out the straw for the stray grains left 

 in the ear by the thrashing-machine. This seems doubt- 

 ful. It appears more probable that some insect found on 

 the straw attracts them. 



If you are walking past a feeding flock, the nearest 

 rook to you will often exhibit a ridiculous indecision as to 

 whether he shall fly or not. He stretches his neck and 

 leans forward as if about to spring, stops, utters a ques- 

 tioning ' Cawk ? ' then watches you a moment and gives a 

 hop, just opens his wings, shuts them, and descends . 

 within a couple of feet. ' Cawk ! ' again. Finally, if you 

 turn from your course and make a step towards him, he 

 rises, flaps his wings three or four times, extends them, 

 and glides a dozen yards to alight once more. 



Sometimes a flock will rise in the air, and silently 

 wheel round and round after each other, gradually ascend- 

 ing and drifting slowly with the current till they reach 

 a great height. When they soar like this it is said to 

 foretell fine weather. At another time a flock will go up 

 and wheel about in the strangest irregular manner. Every 

 now and then one will extend his wings, holding them 

 rigid, and dive downwards, in his headlong descent waver- 

 ing to and fro like a sheet of paper falling edge first. He 

 falls at a great pace, and looks as if he must be dashed to 

 pieces against a tree or the earth ; but he rights himself 

 at the last moment, and glides away and up again with 



