1] THE HISTORY OF A-ROOK. 105

rook of my own sex the only secure and trustworthy
happiness is to be found. Such indeed was my re-
lationship with my beloved Glossy-back, and to think
that the hearts which had been thus knitted together
by such a bond should have been disunited by the
cruel hand of death was a misery which made me
half inclined to terminate my own existence. No
more might J roam abroad with my friend of friends,
searching the fields together for our food, racing
together in the high wind, or sitting side by side upon
the tall elms, cawing over the state of the world in
general and rookdom in particular. No more might
we unfold to each other the legends of old days of
which educated rooks are so fond, or prophesy the
future history of the world which we saw daily pro-
gressing around us. All this was past, and on my
solitary roosting-tree that night I passed a miserable
time indeed, looking round with sleepless eyes for my
lost friend—alas! in vain! but hardly able to realise
that he was not by me, or falling asleep only to dream
of him and to wake again to the sad consciousness of
my terrible loss,

My life became a perfect blank. My food palled
upon me; I refused corn—neglected insects—grubs
became positively distasteful to my feeble appetite,
and I avoided the favourite feeding-grounds upon
which my beloved Glossy-back and I had so often
fed together. No occupation could take my thoughts
from the past; as for pleasure, I hated the very
word, and day succeeded day without bringing to
me any solace whatever. Under these distressing
circumstances my health visibly suffered. My eyes