Ornithological and Other Oddities 



town bird, there is no reason why this very 

 beautiful creature, which the game-preserver will 

 not allow to live in the country, should not be 

 allowed to delight our eyes in town, and harry 

 the nests with which Philip Sparrow decorates 

 the trees to his heart's content ; to say nothing of 

 appropriating the results of the town pigeon's 

 undue philoprogenitiveness. 



The even more beautiful and equally perse- 

 cuted jay might also be tried, and would have 

 the same recommendations ; but as it is more of 

 a woodlander than the magpie, it might not be 

 so much inclined to venture among the houses. 

 However, considering the progress which the 

 wood-pigeon has made of late years in this direc- 

 tion, it is quite probable that the jay, a far more 

 intelligent bird, would be equally ready to profit 

 by man's friendship, and frequent buildings as 

 well as trees. 



The jackdaw, of course, is a haunter of build- 

 ings already, but as he has not the beauty of the 

 magpie and jay, it would be hardly worth while 

 to try him unless these proved impracticable as 

 citizens ; his qualities in such a case would be 

 much the same as theirs, and he would be un- 

 doubtedly easier to establish. 



In fact, the jackdaw might, like the pigeon, 



become too numerous, as a bird which builds on 



houses is harder to keep under control than one 



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