THE JACKDAW AND CARRION CROW. 209 



growing from the cliff's rugged sides some three hundred 

 feet above me, while a few pay visits to their- nesting- 

 holes ; yet all finally settle down to rest on the branches 

 of the trees, where, summer and winter alike, they brave 

 the elements in their exposed and lofty roosting place. 



The Jackdaw breeds very late in the year, for the 

 Rooks have young even before they commence laying. 

 Many persons endeavour to show us that all birds nest- 

 ing in holes of man's habitation show a change of habit, 

 and bring these instances forward as bearing on the 

 theory of Natural Selection. They tell us that the 

 Jackdaw shows an affection for the church steeple, which 

 can hardly be explained by instinct. Now it is the 

 Jackdaw's peculiar habit to nestle in holes of trees or 

 rocks, but when these holes were found in church steeples 

 and other artificial places, the Jackdaw resorted to them 

 just as he would resort to the cliff or tree, both answer- 

 ing his purpose equally as well. We have yet no proof 

 that the Daw can distinguish any difference from these 

 holes and the holes formed by Nature. It is the same 

 with the Starling and the House Sparrow, for they will 

 both build readily in artificial places if you provide them 

 with the requisite accommodation. But remember the 

 accommodation afforded must resemble that to which the 

 birds are naturally in the habit of resorting to, otherwise 

 your attempts will be in vain. You can no more entice 

 the Starling to build amongst ycur evergreens or in the 

 branches of your fruit trees, than you can, by making 

 Holes in your dwelling, entice the Rooks to leave the 

 Mm trees and take up their abode in them. The Jack- 

 daw, unlike the Rook or the Carrion Crow, has that in 

 its economy which requires it to bring up its young in 

 a hole, like the Starling to wit, and we find he nestles 

 both in holes of rocks and trees, also church steeples, and 



p 



