THE JACKDAW. '55 



motion. On the ground he is almost as fussy as a Starling in his search for 

 worms or leather-jackets of which I have seen him carry many to his nest from 

 my garden : undoubtedly he does fulfil his duties in the scheme of Nature. 



The cries of this bird have been variously described as cae, caw, quick, jack, 

 &c., but the only notes which I have heard uttered by wild Jackdaws have been 

 chack and chark, from which sounds, without question, its name has been derived : 

 its note is utterly unlike that of the Rook or any of the other British Crows. 



The Jackdaw as a rule is gregarious in its habits ; although in the suburbs, 

 a pair will sometimes take possession of a chimney, in which they will build 

 alone ; consorting however, when feeding, with the Rooks which inhabit some 

 avenue of elms in the neighbourhood : but, whenever possible, this species breeds 

 in colonies, the nest being almost invariably placed in some crevice or hole in rock, 

 building, tree,* or even a rabbit-burrow ; ivy-clad ruins and belfries of old churches 

 being favourite sites. 



Nidification commences in April or May, frequently not until the later month, 

 and the nest varies considerably in bulk according to the site in which it is con- 

 structed ; it is always carelessly formed and generally of the veriest rubbish ; 

 wool and moss are often used, but those which I have found in belfries consisted 

 merely of sticks and a little dirty straw, with a few feathers ; whilst one in my 

 collection taken from the winding staircase leading up to the belfry of old Milton 

 Church, near Sittingbourne, on 25th May, 1887, consists of a great mass of hair 

 (either the winter-coat of horses, or refuse from a barber's) with a little loose earth, 

 a dead leaf or two, and a little dirty straw : the depression for the eggs is very 

 shallow. 



The eggs number from four to six and vary a good deal, but the commonest 

 type is pale blue, more or less boldly spotted with sepia, and with lavender-grey 

 shell-spots ; sometimes the spots are absent, and I have seen a few eggs in which 

 the markings were small, numerous, and pale, almost resembling eggs of the Magpie. 



The Jackdaw pairs for life : it rears only one brood in a season. Its food 

 consists in summer chiefly of worms, all kinds of injurious grubs, especially those 

 of the crane-fly, the cockchafer, the wireworm, also insects, mollusca, and (it must 

 alas be admitted) eggs and young of other birds, grain, peas and earl}- fruits : 

 later in the year, fruit, beech-mast, acorns, and all kinds of refuse, including 

 carrion, are eaten. 



Not only is the Jackdaw keensighted, as I shall presently show, but its scent 

 would seem to be very acute: my friend Mr. J. C. Pool, of Birmingham, writes 



Seebohm says that " When the hole is too deep to suit its purpose it makes a foundation of sticks, and 

 will sometimes deposit bushels of twigs to raise the level high enough." 



