Wednesday, 26 February 2020

ROOK THOUGHT IT WAS A KINGFISHER

The item below is taken from an 1846 edition of The Zoologist journal.


Remarkable habit of the rook 

Sir -

In the early part of January, 1845, whilst walking by the Serpentine in London, I saw a rook flying to and fro over the surface of the
water.

It stopped several times close to the stream and at last plunged in, emerging almost immediately, whereupon it flew heavily away towards some high trees.

A boy threw a stone at it, when the rook dropped a fish, and after flying round and round returned to its former occupation. 

The prey proved to be a dace, and was bleeding from the wounds of the rook's talons.

The boy, who was generally watching the cows in the
park, told me he had before observed the rooks fishing, especially in cold weather. 


G. A. Thrupp 
1, Hyde Park Place 
London

November 6th, 1845

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