40 THE JACK-DAW. 



more northern parts, where it builds in groves and orchards 

 near open fields : its eggs are bright green streaked and spotted 

 M'ith brown. 



If taken young it is tamed and taught to speak more easily 

 than the carrion crow. 



THE JACK-DAW. 



Corvus Monedula, Linn^us ; Le Chocas, Buffon ; Die Dohle, Bechstsin 



This bird is naturally half tame, and if reared from the nest 

 it will voluntarily remain in the yard with the poultry. It 

 makes its nest in old buildings, houses, castles, towers, and 

 churches : its eggs are green, spotted with dark brown and 

 black. It is not so much to teach it to speak that people like 

 to rear young jack- daws, but to see it go and return at call. 

 Even old ones that are taken in autumn may be accustomed 

 to this, cutting the wings at first, and again in the spring, so 

 that as they grow again the bird learns by degrees to come to 

 a certain call. During Avinter it will always come into the 

 yard. The size of the jack-daw is that of the pigeon, thirteen 

 or fourteen inches in length. The back of the head is light grey, 

 the rest of the body black. When in winter it eats wild garlic^ 

 in the fields it smells very strongly of it, and does not lose the 

 scent till it has been a week in the house. 



THE JAY. 

 Corvus glandarius, Linn^ds; Le Geai, Buffon ; Der Holzeher, Bechstein. 



I HAVE often, during my youth, seen this beautiful species 

 ©r bird among the peasants of Thuringia confined in cages, and 

 taught to speak. It is about the size of the preceding bird. Its 

 black beak is in shape like that of the carrion crow. The feet 



