THE LONDON DAW 63 



on a sofa in a room on the ground floor, when 

 her husband, who was in the garden at the back, 

 excitedly cried out that a wild jackdaw had just 

 flown down and alighted near him. ' A perfect 

 beauty ! ' he exclaimed ; never had he seen a jack- 

 daw in finer plumage ! The lady, equally excited, 

 called back, begging him to use every device to 

 get the bird to stay. No sooner was her voice 

 heard than the jackdaw rose up and dashed into 

 the house, and flying the length of three rooms 

 came to where she was lying, and at once 

 alighted on her head and began passing his 

 beak through her hair in the old manner. In 

 no other way could this wild-looking and 

 beautified bird have established his identity. 

 His return was a great joy ; they caressed and 

 feasted him, and for several hours, during which 

 he showed no desire to renew his intercourse 

 with the fowls, he was as lively and amusing 

 as he had ever been in the old days before he 

 had got into trouble. But before night he left 

 them, and has never returned since ; doubtless 

 he had established relations with some of the wild 

 daws on the outskirts of London. 



Before ending this chapter I should like to 

 say a word about white jackdaws. It is a 



