THE ROOK. 



wind. This is a magnificent and beautiful sight to the 

 eye of an ornithologist. It is idle to suppose for a 

 moment that it portends wind. It is merely the ordi- 

 nary descent of the birds to an inviting spot beneath 

 them, where^ in general, some of their associates 

 are already assembled, or where there is food to be 

 procured. When we consider the prodigious height 

 of the rooks at the time they begin to descend, we 

 conclude that they cannot effect their arrival at a 

 spot perpendicular under them by any other process 

 so short and rapid. 



Rooks remain with us the year throughout. If 

 there were a deficiency of food, this would not be 

 the case; for, when birds can no longer support them- 

 selves in the place which they have chosen for their 

 residence, they leave it, and go in quest of nutriment 

 elsewhere. Thus, for want of food, myriads of wild 

 fowl leave the frozen north, and repair to milder 

 climates; and in this immediate district, when there 

 is but a scanty sprinkling of seeds on the whitethorn 

 bush, our flocks of fieldfares and of redwings bear 

 no proportion to those in times of a plentiful supply 

 of their favourite food. But the number of rooks 

 never visibly diminishes ; and on this account we may 

 safely conclude that, one way or other, they always 

 find a sufficiency of food. Now, if we bring, as a charge 

 against them, their feeding upon the industry of 

 mar., as, for example, during the time of a hard frost, 

 or at seedtime, or at harvest, at which periods they 

 will commit depredations, if not narrowly watched ; 

 we ought, in justice, to put down in their favour the 

 rest of the year, when they feed entirely upon in- 



