72 
BRITISH BIRDS. 
cafion to obferve that they are ufeful in prevent- 
ing a too great increafe of that deftrudtive infect 
the chafer or dor-beetle, and by that means make 
large recompenfe for the depredations they may 
occafionally make on the corn fields. Rooks are 
gregarious, and fly in immenfe flocks at morning 
and evening to and from their roofting places in 
queft of food. During the breeding time they 
live together in large focieties, and build their 
nefts on trees clofe to each other, frequently in the 
midft of large and populous towns. Thefe rook- 
eries, however, are often the fcenes of bitter con- 
tefls, the new comers being frequently driven a- 
way by the old inhabitants, their half-built nefts 
torn in pieces, and the unfortunate couple forced to 
begin their work anew in fome more undifturbed 
fituation of this we had a remarkable inftance in 
Newcaftle. In the year 1783 a pair of Rooks, af- 
ter an unfuccefsful attempt to eftablifli themfelves 
in a rookery at no great diftance from the Ex- 
change, were compelled to abandon the attempt, 
and take refuge on the fpire of that building, and 
altho’ conftantly interrupted by other Rooks, they 
built their neft on the top of the vane, and brought 
forth their young, undifturbed by the noife of the 
populace below them ; the neft and its inhabitants 
were confequently turned about by every change 
of the wind. They returned and built their neft 
every year on the fame place till 1793, after which 
the fpire was taken down. 
