THE JACKDAW. 



257 



trees in close proximity to rookeries, they are neither 

 courted nor persecuted ; they come when they like and 

 go away when they please. On the other hand, no one, 

 I believe, ever saw a flock of Eooks making the first 

 advances towards an intimacy with a flock of Jackdaws, or 

 heard of their condescending to colonize a grove, because 

 their grey-headed relatives were located in the neighbour- 

 hood. On the sea- coast, where Rooks are only casual 



THE JACKDAW. 



visitors, the Jackdaw has no opportunity of hanging 

 himself on as an appendage to a rookery, but even here 

 he must- be a client. With the choice of a long range 

 of cliff" before him, he avoids that which he might have 

 all to himself, and selects a portion which, either because 

 it is sheltered from storms, or inaccessible by climbers, has 

 been already appropriated by Sea-mews. 



The object of the Jackdaw in making church-towers its 



