263 



accounts of breeding attempts, papers on any birdy 

 matters, or some sngii^estions for the possible improve- 

 ment of " Bird Notes "—all \vill be welcome. 



Many members and friends have noticed in the 

 public press various accounts of the celebrated " Jack- 

 daw of Brixton." The bird was well known to members 

 of the Club who lived in the neighbourhood of Brixton 

 and Clapham. I can remember a little incident in 

 connection with him. I have been in the habit for years 

 of keeping a few birds in my office in Cheapside. At 

 that time I had a very nice "Gale" which I was taking 

 great care of, and having run out of the inevitable meal- 

 worms, I carefully put into a tobacco box a quantity of 

 them and placed them in my pocket for conveyance to 

 the "City," and dul}' jumped upon a tram car a short 

 distance from the headquarters of Master Jackdaw ; in 

 a minute or two he came flying on to the rail of the car 

 and began his usual cawing and jabbering, but soon he 

 was upon my back, and with a vigorous peck he had 

 secured a mealworm. How had he got into my pocket ? 

 Or had he enticed them out, and how .'' And yet again 

 another dash up at my collar. Other occupants of the 

 car were alarmed, and the ladies were in great con- 

 sternation, for I was smothered in mealworms, and m)' 

 Lord Jackdaw was in a mighty hurry to secure more. On 

 taking out ni}^ improvised receptacle for the mealworms, 

 I discovered a hole in the side of the box through 

 which they had gained their liberty, only, however, to 

 find another and more secure prison house in the Jack- 

 daw's crop. The ladies and gentlemen on board failed 

 to understand why I should have such horrid creatures 

 crawling all over me, and I must have seemed an 

 unclean person to some of them. But Master Jackdaw 

 had a large amount of cupboard love for me all the way 

 to the Elephant and Castle, where with a laugh of 

 satisfaction and a parting salutation he got on to another 

 car on his way home. I am afraid he did not have such 

 a happy time on his homeward journey. This same bird 

 was exhibited at our own Show held at the Crystal 



