340 
BIRD-LIFE. 
little colonists. As one flies away another takes its place, 
and thus they keep np a never-ending stream of motion, 
which is perfectly charming. To a true friend of nature 
it would be difficult to find a more delightful example of 
friendliness and good will amongst a general assemblage 
than that before him. These bright-coloured and graceful 
birds live on the best of terms with one another, each 
individual member respecting the rights and properties 
of its neighbours. This happy mode of life is one, 
indeed, well worthy of our imitation. 
With colonies of birds belonging to the Crow family, 
matters are quite different, in them there is no end to the 
fighting and squabbling. In spite of the apparent good 
will existing in such gatherings, let it he remarked that no 
member of a rookery or flock of Jackdaws will ever sacrifice 
himself or his interests on the altar of friendship. The 
materials used in the construction of their nests require, 
it is true, no small amount of labour to collect; and thus 
it is not to be wondered at that everyone seeks to make 
his w r ork as easy as possible—so they rob and cheat one 
another to any extent. If one member of a pair does not 
remain by the nest, the latter is very soon demolished, 
stick by stick, by other members of the community, or 
even unblushingly appropriated by some other pair in 
search of a domicile, who will defend the same to the 
last gasp against all assaults of the rightful owner. This 
constant state of squabbling does not even terminate 
when every pair is provided with a nest, but continues as 
long as the hens are sitting. 
In flat districts rookeries are often of extraordinary size. 
In Lower Saxony a small belt or clump of fir trees not 
unfrequently contains as many as from five to six hun¬ 
dred nests, and on such occasions one may often find as 
