THE JACKDAWS. 9 



just like Rooks, while in the wilder parts of Central Asia the 

 bird is a regular camp-follower. 



Nest. This is a huge and bulky structure, placed in a lofty 

 tree or on a cliff. When unmolested the bird occupies the 

 same nest year after year, merely repairing or adding some- 

 what to the structure, which consists of a mass of sticks and 

 heather, with a dense lining of sheep's wool or something 

 equally soft. The Raven breeds very early in the year, and 

 the eggs are laid by the end of February or the beginning 

 of March. 



Eggs These are scarcely so large as might be expected from 

 the size of the bird, and often do not greatly exceed those of 

 the Carrion Crow in size. The clutch varies from three to six 

 in number, and the ground colour is bluish or greyish green, 

 thickly blotched and overlaid with brown. The ground- 

 colour is sometimes pale greenish blue, and in such eggs the 

 markings are fewer and more distinct. Axis, i '85-2*1 inches ; 

 diam., 1-25-1-4 inch. (Plate XXIX., Fig. 2.) 



THE JACKDAWS. GENUS COLCEUS. 



Coloens, Kaup., Skizz., Natiirl. Syst., p. 114 (1829). 



Type, C. monedula (Linn.). 



The members of this genus resemble the Ravens in the form 

 of the wing, having a long first primary, which equals or ex- 

 ceeds the innermost secondaries in length. In general form, 

 however, the Jackdaws are different from the last- mentioned 

 birds, having a very short bill, which is not even as long as the 

 head itself. They also generally build in holes of trees, or in 

 buildings, under shelter. 



Five species of Jackdaw are known, one of them, the so- 

 called " Fish-Crow," being found in North America, while the 

 other four are peculiar to the Old World. Of these, our common 

 Jackdaw is found throughout the greater part of Europe, while 

 from Turkey eastwards to Central Asia its place is taken by the 

 White-collared Jackdaw (Colosus collaris\ and still further, in 

 China and Japan, it is replaced by the Chinese Jackdaw (Colceus 

 neglectus). In Eastern Siberia, China, and Japan occurs still 

 another form, the White-collared Jackdaw (Colosus dauricus). 



