SOMETHING ABOUT ROOKS. 
129 
pany. The two sitting frequently on the ridge of the stack for 
several weeks at intervals, after a while became bolder and 
ventured nearer the house. They would take up pieces of 
bread or mutton fat and fly quickly back to the stack, as a safe 
haven. It was droll to see these two, sitting patiently through 
a storm of wind, hail or snow, their glossy black feathers covered 
Avith a patch of white, and then bread or meat thrown out, 
down they came from their high perches, and, floundering 
through the deep snow, made short work of such welcome 
proA'ender. After a while we noticed that the surplus of a meal 
Avas hidden in the top mf the stack or buried in a hole in the 
grass. The least appetising part of the food seemed to be that 
buried, as by the aid of an opera glass Ave had found it AA^as 
white bread AA'hich Avas disinterred. 
Noav that the rooks have become more tame it is generally 
the nearer A'icinity of the house Avhich they choose as a resting 
place, squatting like hens on the top of the Ioav stone Avail or 
making liA’ing escutcheons of themselves on the posts of a 
flA'e-barred gate. Both gate and Avail are not more than eight 
or ten feet from the door and Avindows. There they sit per- 
sistently AA’atching and Avaiting, and especially toAvards four or 
fiA’e in the afternoon, Avhen apparently that seems to be the 
last meal of the day. After pertinent enquiry, turning their 
heads from time to time to the door and windoAVS, and saying 
as plainly as Avords can say it, “ Bring out that mutton-fat and 
cheese.” Nothing forthcoming, they seem to give us up for the 
time being, and fly off to the stack or the hole in the field, 
and there take out the fare for a “ rainy day.” Next morning, 
at fiA-e or six o’clock, there they are again, remaining Avith us 
or near to, almost the Avhole of the day. Strange to sa}', Avhen 
an elderly AA'oman came to keep house during our absence at the 
sea-side last summer the croAvs entirely absented themselves ; 
and as singular, Avhen on an early foraging expedition an ordinary 
flock of croAvs pays our Avheat crop a morning call, our rooks 
being among them, the former AA'ill fly, on being driA'en off, 
in an opposite direction, but those Ave call ours come flying 
nearer to the house for protection, alighting on the gate posts 
or near the door. 
It should be mentioned that the winter folloAving the one the 
rooks made our acquaintance, they brought Avith them another 
rook, a younger one, Avhich Ave took to be the son. He, in his 
turn, has become more tame than his parents, not troubling 
himself to moA'e from the gate post, but simply scrutinising 
and contemplating the quality of the food taken out. There 
is no doubt but that cheese and roasted mutton fat bear the 
palm. Lately, a young black retriever dog belonging to a 
farmer near, and coming over to play with our dog, has, being 
someAA'hat actiA'e and nimble of limb, found out the rooks’ larder 
on the top of the stack. A fine commotion and call to council 
took place among the three at this juncture. Such a carving 
