JACKDAW. 105 



their work securely. The clergyman of the place bore tes- 

 timony to the quantity of sticks brought together, the labour 

 of collecting which must have been quite extraordinary. 



The Jackdaw lays from four to six eggs ; these are gene- 

 rally produced in May, and the young are hatched by the 

 end of the month, or very early in June. The eggs are of a 

 pale bluish white, spotted with ash colour and clove brown ; 

 the length one inch seven lines, by one inch and half a line 

 in breadth. The young birds, Avhich are usually fit to take 

 from the nest by the end of the second week in June, are easily 

 tamed, and much attached to those who feed them. They soon 

 learn to imitate the sounds of the human voice, and exhibit 

 other amusing qualities. Some remarkable instances are 

 related in the Magazine of Natural History,* and in works 

 upon Ornithology. The voice of the Jackdaw is more shrill 

 than that of the larger Crows, and, like them, it is by no 

 means particular as to the quality of its food, eating indiscri- 

 minately insects, seeds, or grain, eggs, or carrion ; on the 

 sea shore, shell-fish, or the remains of other fish, and Crus- 

 tacea; may be seen perched on the back of sheep to gather 

 wool for its nest, or to pick out any parasitic insect it may 

 find in such a situation : occasionally the Jackdaw visits gar- 

 dens to feed on some of the softer vegetables and fruits ; but 

 in confinement appears to prefer meat. When once paired, 

 Mr. Waterton considers that they remain partners for life. 



The Jackdaw is found in most parts of this country ; but 

 Mr. Macgillivray, who has paid great attention to the Orni- 

 thology of Scotland, says it is not found in the outer Hebrides. 

 Mr. Low includes it as a bird of the Orkneys ; but it is 

 on the information of others : he does not appear to have 

 seen the bird himself It is not mentioned by Mr. Dunn 

 as occurring in Shetland. It is found, however, still farther 

 north in Denmark and in Scandinavia, in Russia, and in 



* \'ol, vi. p. 516, aiiJ vol. vii. p. 151. 



