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THE JACKDAW. 



The Jackdaw is a frequenter of the haunts of man, active, noisy, and familiar ahnost 

 to impudence ; but it is a lively bird ; and though at times it may take a little grain, 

 that is far more than compensated by the number of insects and worms that it destroys 

 in the course of the year. 



The jackaaw is the smallest of the tribe, being only about half the weight of the rook ; 

 but the wings are larger in proi^ortion. It is about fourteen inches long, twenty-nine 

 broad, and weighs between nine and ten ounces. The bill, feet, top of the head, and 

 wing coverts, and secondary quills, are black. The back of the head and nape smoke 

 gray, and the irides the same, but much lighter. Th.e remaining i:)arts black with a 

 grayish tinge on the upper side, and a bluish on the under. Tlie black is variously 

 glossed with blue and violet reflexions. These are the ordinarj- colours ; but like all 

 birds that inliabit cultivated lands, and are of course affected by the diflerenccs to which 

 cultivation gives rise, jackdaws vary considerably in colour, partly from ago, partly not ; 

 sometimes the gray is nearly white, at other times the bird is black all over; and there 

 arc manv sUglitor and intermediate variations. 



Holes anil chinks are the immediate places in wliich jackdaws nestle ; but tlicso must 

 bo elevated above the level ground, and the higher they are the bird likes theni the 

 better. It is probable tliat the original instinct is the protection of its eggs and young 

 from the weasels. Rocks, the edges of neglected quarries, the proj<!cting parapets of 

 bridges, tower.s, steeples, ruins, and various other places, are the luuuits (if this hiid. 



• Corvus MoncduUi. 



