140 THE ROOK. 
retire to roost, still I can never see a carrion crow- 
build its nest in a rookery. There was always a 
carrion crow's nest here, in a clump of high Scotch 
pines, near the stables^ till the rooks got possession 
of the trees ; the carrion couple then forsook the 
place: the rooks were dislodged from this clump of 
trees ; and then a pair of carrion crows (the same, 
for aught I know to the contrary) came and built 
their nest in it. 
The rook lays from three to five eggs, varying 
much, like those of the carrion crow, in colour, 
shape, and size. After the rooks have built, and 
even lined their nests, they leave them, on the ap- 
proach of night, to repair to the general rendezvous 
at Nostell Priory ; but, as soon as they begin to lay, 
they then no longer quit the trees at night, until 
they have reared their young. When this has been 
effected, we see large flocks of them resorting to 
the different woods of the neighbourhood, to pass 
the night. This they continue to do till a few days 
before the autumnal equinox, when, for reasons 
which baffle all conjecture^ they begin to pass over 
this valley every morning in a westerly direction, 
and return in the evening to their eastern roosting- 
place in the woods of Nostell Priory. 
Rooks are observed to keep up a very close and 
friendly intercourse with starlings and jackdaws ; 
but, on looking at them in the fields, the observer 
will perceive, that, while the jackdaws mix promis- 
cuously with the rooks, both in their flight and 
in searching for food, the starlings always keep in 
their own flock. This circumstance has long engaged 
