3o8 The Irish Naturalist. 



been obliged to give up the contest by the quiet persistency 

 of the birds. 



My Jackdaw — I have but one — was also reared by its 

 mother in my aviar}^ It had fallen from the nest apparently, 

 as it was still unfledged when brought to me by one of my 

 pupils, the old bird still hovering around and making uncom- 

 plimentary remarks. I placed it in the aviary and took no 

 further trouble about it, but the old birds continually attended 

 to it — indeed even when it could shift for itself. This bird is 

 not, however, nearly so tame as those of its kind that I pos- 

 sessed in my boyish days, and does not appear to be much of 

 an acquisition. 



M}^ Jay was a purchase which came from England. There 

 were two others in the nest, but these were fed liberally with 

 small pebbles by the Registrar's sons, and the diet did not 

 agree with them, it appears ; though, when 3^oung, they cer- 

 tainly are always ready and eager for any kind of food. My 

 Jay is not much of a mimic, nor indeed does he concern him- 

 self much about his companions ; but he is a beautiful bird, 

 and quicker in his movements than any other with which I 

 am acquainted. I feared that the smaller birds would have no 

 chance of breeding in the same aviary with him, and so built 

 another aviary for them in a sunnier spot, which has been 

 very successful. He does not however seem to have any 

 desire for eggs, and the Doves and Thrushes have not, so far 

 as I know, suffered from his attentions. Very lately, I obtained 

 a Magpie, w^hich is not so harmless, as, in the very first night 

 of its residence, it killed two Thrushes and a Sparrow. I have 

 had to separate it from the others, removing also the Jay at 

 the same time. 



The Blackbirds I had to remove into the smaller birds' aviary 

 as a feud arose between one of them and the Missel-thrush 

 which threatened to be life-long, and to the detriment of the 

 former. I can hardly blame the Missel-thrush, however, for 

 he was perfectly peaceable till the Blackbird drove him into 

 anger by continuous bullying. This Blackbird, which I have 

 now had for five years, was caught by myself in a trap, during 

 the frost, together with two or three Thrushes. Four other 

 Blackbirds, including a hen, were brought to me by my pupils, 

 and then war began. The original occupant apparently resen- 

 ted the intrusion of the others^ and killed three, in spite of my 



