THE ROOKS FROM SCOTLAND. 171 



" The flesh of the rook is excellent : T con- 

 sider it as good as that of pigeon. People in 

 this part of the country will go any distance for 

 a dozen of young rooks, even at the risk of a 

 penalty for trespass. 



" In 1814, eight tailors and a tailor's boy left 

 Wakefield on a Saturday night to enjoy a 

 fiddling party at a village called Himsworth, 

 some six miles from hence. In returning home 

 they were seized with a vehement desire of 

 looking into my rookery. The keeper surprised 

 them in the act of helping themselves, and as 

 he knew the major part of them personally, 

 they consented to appear before me. The 

 fellow had a touch of wag in him, and he in- 

 troduced them thus : — * If you please, Sir,' said 

 he, ' 1 have catched eight tailors and a half 

 stealing young rooks.' — 6 Well,' said I, 6 after 

 all this noise on Sunday morning you have not 

 managed to bring me a full man, for wer all 

 know in Yorkshire that it requires nine tailors 

 to make a man. Send them about their 

 business ; I can't think of prosecuting eight 

 ninths and a half of a man.' 



" The faults of the rook in our imperfect eyes 

 are as follows. It pulls up the young blade of 



