Birds. 



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rook are sometimes met with, as well as white and of a cream-colour. 

 I have in my possession a live one of the latter colour ; and as he is 

 a most wonderful bird, this rook of mine, I must tell you something 

 about him. Well, then, he was born at a place called the Torr of 

 Traup ; his parents were both black, as well as his brothers and 

 sisters ; but how he came to be whitish I leave you to judge. It so 

 happened that when he was about two or three weeks old a young 

 urchin chanced to alight on the nest, and, no doubt thinking he had 

 gained a wonderful prize in a white rook, bore him off in triumph. 

 A friend of mine residing near, having heard of the affair, succeeded 

 in procuring the rarity for me. On his first appearance amongst us 

 he did not seem at all pleased, and would have picked all our eyes 

 out if we had been foolish enough to let him. My children, a pretty 

 good swarm, flocking round him, he pecked at them most furiously, 

 as in fact he did at all strangers ; but to my friend who brought him, 

 and with whom he had been living a short time previous, as well as 

 to all my family, he became quite gentle ; and when my friend asked 

 him for a paw, he held out one of his feet, and shook hands as 

 it were with him. In a short time he became as one of ourselves, 

 and strutted about the floor like a soldier on parade, making friends 

 with all but one, and to that one, a large tom-cat, he could not and 

 never did become reconciled. The cat no sooner put his nose in at 

 the door than he was flown at, and one blow from the bird's bill was 

 enough for him. Away he flew like lightning, whilst Jack, as we 

 call the bird, shouted victory by giving a loud " caw." A stranger 

 could not enter the room without being attacked. A bare foot was a 

 most glorious object for him to peck at. For the first six months 

 he lived in the same room as ourselves. It so happened that we 

 had a baby at the time. Now, the youngster was always put into its 

 cradle shortly after breakfast. Jack, after he had been with us a 

 short time, began to give us a song of a forenoon ; so that the baby 

 could get no sleep. The consequence was that we were obliged to 

 keep him in an old garret till dinner time, when he was generally 

 brought down. If he was not brought down then, and the door was 

 shut, his trumpet was set going, and continued until he was released. 

 One day, when we were all seated at the table, just about to begin 

 dinner, a rap-tap was heard at the door. " Come in," cried one of the 

 children, thinking it was some stranger. " Caw, caw !" roared Jack, 

 for it was none other, and he continued to rap with his bill until the 

 door was opened. There is one most extraordinary trait in his cha- 

 racter, namely, when he has more food thau he can consume he 



