Habits of the Jackdaw. 397 



ing information of this bird's defective sense of proportion 

 apprises us that the degree of rationality possessed by it is 

 not only far below the human degree, but even far below the 

 degree of which Beau's unsolicited interpretation and fulfil- 

 ment of his master's wish bespoke his possession. Interest- 

 ing, however, as are both these instances of instinct capability, 

 there is not sufficient parity in them to justify my coupling 

 them together ; except as two separate facts, individually 

 valuable in their lucid relation to that most interesting of 

 natural subjects, the respective boundaries and capabilities 

 of instinct and reason, the two faculties through which are 

 actuated all the movements of all animals. 



In relation to the habits of jackdaws, I have an incident 

 (it can scarcely be called a habit) to report, which, I think, 

 will show that this bird, like others of 



" The houseless rovers of the sylvan world," 



has a just sense of the value of expediency. At Cambridge, 

 then, there is good accommodation for jackdaws, in the nu- 

 merous receptacles for their nests which the thirteen, or more, 

 parish churches, and many college buildings, supply; and in the 

 sufficiency (so one would suppose) of sticks for their nests which 

 the trees in the grounds of the colleges, and elsewhere around 

 the town, afford. Jackdaws are, whether in consequence or 

 not, comparatively numerous at Cambridge. The botanic gar- 

 den there has three of its four sides enclosed by thickly built 

 parts of the town, and has five parish churches and iive col- 

 leges within a short flight of it. The jackdaws inhabiting 

 (at least, for a certain time in each year) these and other 

 churches and colleges had, in the years 1815 to 1818, and, 

 doubtless, had, for years before, and have since, discovered 

 that the wooden labels placed before the plants, whose names 

 they bore, in the botanic garden, would well enough serve 

 the same purpose as twiggy sticks off trees, and that they 

 had the greater convenience of being prepared ready for their 

 use, and placed very near home. A large proportion of the 

 labels used in this garden were made out of deal laths, and 

 were about 9 in. long, and an inch or more broad ; and, 

 although of this size, were, as they were thin, when dry, 

 pretty light. To these the jackdaws would help themselves 

 freely whenever they could do so without molestation ; and 

 the times at which they could do this were, early in the 

 morning, before the gardeners commenced working for the 

 day, and while they were absent from the garden at their 

 meals ; and the jackdaws would sometimes fetch away labels, 

 during the gardeners' working hours, from one part of the 



