97 



JACKDAW. 



DAW. KAE. 



PLATE XLVII. 



Corvus monedula, LINN^US. GMELIN. 



JACKDAWS build in cliffs, church and other towers, rabbit burrows, 

 the roofs of buildings, the holes of ruins, hollow trees, the sides of 

 chalk-pits, and even in chimneys, despite of the smoke, as if conscious 

 that it could not blacken their plumage: they inhabited the ruins of 

 Stonehenge in Pennant's time, and may do so yet. 



The nest .is built of sticks, and is lined with wool, hair, grass, and 

 other soft substances. Very large quantities of sticks are collected 

 for the purpose, so as even to block up chimneys, and the spiral stairs 

 of church towers; the immense masses heaped together in the western 

 towers of York Minster formed a most unfortunate kind of firewood 

 for the last tremendous conflagration that occurred there. They used 

 to build in the tower of my own church, but when it was restored, 

 wire net-work was placed in the belfry window, so as effectually to stop 

 them there; one persevering pair, however, would not be even thus 

 foiled, but actually brought a mass of sticks through one of the loop- 

 holes in the tower; and though their being naturally conveyed crosswise 

 in their bills created an almost insuperable difficulty, quantities falling 

 down outside, yet it was marvellous to see the numbers which 'by hook 

 or by crook' they got in. The spiral nature of the staircase increased 

 their difficulty, so much larger a quantity of materials being required 

 to make a foundation. 



One instance is related by Alexander Hepburn, Esq., in the ' Zoologist/ 

 of the Jackdaw having built on the branches of trees; and Mr. G. B. 

 VOL. i. o 



