934 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
dropped. When located on the sea-shore the Jack- 
daw picks up a living upon shell-fish, sand-eels, and 
the remains of other fish and Crustacea: it also 
commits considerable depredations upon the eggs of 
the different sea-fowl who have the misfortune to lay 
near its habitation. 
The nest of the Jackdaw is placed in a variety of 
situations: on the s°a-shore it is generally placed in 
holes or crevices oi cilifs, from whence it emerges 
and robs the poor Kazorbills, Guillemots, Gulls, 
&c.; imland it generally finds a convenient situation 
for its nest in the ornamental niches, figures or 
tracery work of cathedrals and other buildings; even 
the steps up to a church-tower, if not much used, 
are often made nearly impassable by the rubbish 
collected there by the Jackdaws for their nests: in 
collecting all this material this bird often does con- 
siderable mischief, as it steals anything it can lay its 
hands, or rather its beak, upon. One rather curious 
instance is mentioned by Yarrell, who says that the 
Jackdaws who built in the neighbouring church- 
towers stole all the pegs on which the names of the 
plants in the Botanic Gardens at Cambridge were 
written, thus causing considerable difficulty in after- 
wards identifying some of the plants. In con- 
finement the Jackdaw is a most impudent and 
amusing bird, always hopping about and _ look- 
ing out for some mischief to do. 
