202 JACKDAWS. 



cessantly employed in tearing up the roots, for the purpose of 

 getting at the grubs, already alluded to in our description of 

 Rooks. The way they set about it was this : they would 

 walk quietly over the surface, every now and then turning 

 their head, pausing for a moment, and then walking on, till at 

 length, instead of moving from the spot, they fell to picking a 

 hole as fast as their heads could nod, and in the end almost 

 always succeeded in extracting a few large grubs, with which, 

 as soon as the fortunate finder had secured one, he hopped off 

 to enjoy his delicate morsel, followed and jostled by the rest who 

 had been less successful in their search j adding another proof of 

 the utility of birds in ridding us from injurious insects — and 

 all in favour of the Rook family. In every part of the world, 

 the character of the Jackdaw tribe seems to be the same. 



Thus, in the island of Ceylon, in India, these birds are 

 extremely impudent and troublesome ; and it is found very 

 difficult to exclude them from the houses, which on account 

 of the heat are built open, and much exposed to intruders. 

 In the town of Colombo, where they are in the habit of picking 

 up bones and other things from the streets and yards, and 

 carrying them to the tops of the houses, a battle usually takes 

 place for the plunder, to the great annoyance of the people 

 below, on whose heads they shower down the loosened tiles, 

 leaving the roofs exposed to the weather. They frequently 

 snatch bread and meat from the dining-table, even when it is 

 surrounded with guests, always seeming to prefer the company 

 of man, as they are continually seen hopping about near houses, 

 and rarely to be met with in woods or retired places. They 

 are, however, important benefactors to the Indians, making 

 ample compensation for their intrusion and knavery ; for they 

 are all voracious devourers of carrion, and instantly consume 

 all sorts of dirt, offal, or dead vermin ; they, in fact, carry off 

 those substances which, if allowed to remain, would, in that 

 hot climate, produce the most noxious smells, and probably 

 give rise to putrid disorders. On this account they are much 

 esteemed by the natives; their mischievous tricks and im- 

 pudence are put up with, and they are never suffered to b<* 

 shot or otherwise molested. 



