150 Short Communications : — 



of war. The rooks attacked the kestrel in the air, hovering 

 over and around him, and were sometimes in close contact 

 with him ; and when he, as if to gain breath, alighted on any 

 tree, up came the magpies^with their loud clang of war, and 

 fiercely carried on the combat. Again the kestrel mounted 

 into the air, which the rooks no sooner beheld than at him 

 they went, apparently as fierce as ever, and so they and the 

 magpies continued alternately attacking him for about a quar- 

 ter of an hour ; when he drove the rooks off, and, after having 

 another round or two with the magpies, he left them, and 

 soared off into quieter regions. The sight was the more in- 

 teresting to myself, from my having but just left a friend who 

 had related to me a description of a similar engagement, which 

 he had witnessed between a kestrel and three rooks; and 

 about a week since another friend told me of an engagement 

 which he had seen, but with only one magpie. Both occurred 

 within a mile from the place at which I saw the action. — T. 

 Ai/lesbury, Oct. 14. 1833. 



[In the Field Naturalist, ii. 74., a correspondent tells of a 

 kestrel and a magpie, which a countryman had seen fighting 

 on the ground. " He approached them; the hawk en- 

 deavoured to escape, but the magpie held her so firmly by the 

 leg, which he had grasped in his claw, that she could not 

 escape, and both were taken with the hand."] 



Habits of the Jackdaw (VI. 394. 396. 516.), Anecdotes on a 

 domesticated One, — Being informed that with the cleanliness 

 and management of the parish workhouse at Kidderminster 

 I should be much pleased, I accompanied a clerical friend to 

 visit it; and was gratified on finding the information true. 

 Noticing a jackdaw at large in the governess's parlour, mani- 

 festing as much self-consequence as if the whole establish- 

 ment were under its control, I was told that the bird had 

 become domesticated there when young, and had ever since 

 been quite a free agent about the premises and neighbouring 

 fields, and that it was a privileged pet and favourite, notwith- 

 standing its many peccadilloes of pilfering and stealing. I 

 learned farther as follows : — After it had been some time 

 an inmate, it having observed that " the copper-drawer," 

 in which pence and halfpence for household disbursements 

 are kept, engaged a particular portion of the governess's care, 

 one day, no sooner was this drawer unlocked and left open, 

 than the bird began to carry into it whatever rags and loose 

 things it could find. At first they were thrown out ; when, fast 

 as possible, the bird, apparently in displeasure, carried them 

 in again. The governess, thinking it strange, submitted to 

 the bird's humour, by leaving the drawer open, after securing 



