The Jackdaw 165 



later ill tlie 3ear, fruit, bcech-niast, acorns, and all kinds of refuse, including 

 carriou, are eaten. 



Not only is the Jackdaw keen-sighted, as I shall presently show, but its scent 

 Mould seem to be very acute: My friend Mr. J. C. Pool, of Birmingham, wrote 

 (nth January, 1896), respecting a nest of this species which he found: — "The 

 nest was in a hole in a decaying tree about fifteen feet from the ground. I 

 climbed the tree, and on looking into the hole I saw a number of 3'oung ones 

 which seemed to be a week or ten days old. In order to ascertain the number 

 of young, I took three out of the nest and held them in 1113' hand, while I looked 

 again into the nest and found onl}' one remained. I then replaced the three in 

 the nest and left them. Next morning I passed by the bottom of the tree and 

 was surprised to see a young Jackdaw lying on the gr(nind dead, and as I was 

 certain I had placed the three young ones properl}- into the nest, and also that 

 they could not possibly have fallen out, the nest being fully two feet below the 

 entrance, I again mounted the tree. Half-way up to the nest I found a second 

 young one lying on a branch, dead, and a third l3'ing on a ledge inside the hole 

 of the tree, but about a foot from the nest. One young one still remained in 

 the nest alive and strong. I did not touch this one, but I subsequently observed 

 the old birds 1^3ang to the nest with food. 



I think there is little doubt that the old birds threw out the three that I 

 had had in my hands, probably because the3^ had contracted the scent. I was 

 visiting m3' friend on whose ground the tree is, last week, and I found the Jackdaws 

 have again nested in the same hole, but they had not hatched then. If I can 

 get over again before the 3'oung ones leave the nest I will try the experiment 

 again and test them." 



Later in the 3'ear Mr. Pool wrote : — " I did not have a chance of confirming 

 the matter of Jackdaws, for when I went to do so, I found someone had been 

 before me and had taken the young ones." 



In captivity, in spite of the fact that its imitative faculty is inferior to that 

 of the Raven, Magpie, or Ja3', as also that it is the most incorrigible thief of all 

 the Crows, the Jackdaw is a very general favourite. It is always full of mischief 

 and takes quite as much delight in practical jokes as its owner gets from watching 

 their performance : there is something irresistibly funny in watching a Jackdaw 

 and a cat together ; the latter anxious to indulge her selfish and indolent nature, 

 Ijy curling up in the sun to sleep away the best hours of the day ; whilst the 

 Jackdaw, equall3' bent on keeping her awake, slips up behind and tweaks her tail. 

 Before the cat can spring to her feet, swearing and spitting, the Jackdaw has 

 hopped sideways under a chair ; and, as she swings round to avenge herself, he 



v.jL. II. V2 



