THE JACKDAW. 109 
some of the finest trees in this part of Yorkshire. 
At the approach of breeding-time, a pair of jack- 
daws took possession of it, and reared their young 
in shelter; while the rooks performed a similar 
duty on the top of the same tree, exposed to all the 
rigours of an English spring. This success induced 
me to appropriate other conveniences for the in- 
cubation of the jackdaw: and I have now the 
satisfaction to see an uninterrupted fellowship exist, 
the year throughout, between the jackdaw and the 
rook. 
Those who are of opinion that birds are gifted 
with a certain portion of reasoning, superior to 
that which is usually denominated instinct, will 
have cause for reflection, should they ever examine 
the materials of a jackdaw’s nest, or pay any at- 
tention to the mode by which the bird tries to 
introduce those materials into the hole. The jack- 
daw invariably carries into it a certain quantity of 
sticks, fully as thick as those which are made use of 
by the rcok. Now, it always occurs to us that the 
rook conveys sticks up to the branches of a tree in 
order to make a kind of frame which may support 
the inner parts of the nest. But why should the 
jackdaw deposit a large heap of strong sticks in the 
hole which is already calculated to support every 
kind of material proper for a nest? Then, again: 
how the act itself of introducing those apparently 
useless sticks causes us to suspend our judgment, 
before we finally conclude that the bird is endowed 
with any sort of reasoning superior to what is com- 
monly denominated the instinct of brutes! You 
