THE JACKDAW. J13 



Favorite food Docility. 



used for some time, a fire was Jighted ; the ma- 

 terials of the nest caught fire, and they were in 

 such quantity, that it was with great difficulty 

 the house could be preserved from the flames. 

 The female lays five or six eggs, somewhat 

 smaller than those of the crow, and of a paler 

 colour. 



The favorite food of these birds consists of 

 worms, and the giubs of insects ; but the Rev* 

 Mr. Bingley informs us, that he was once witness 

 to a singular deviation from their usual mode in 

 this respect. " I was walking," says that gentle- 

 man, " with a friend in the Inner Temple gar- 

 den, about the middle of May 1802, when we 

 observed a jackdaw hovering, in a very unusual 

 manner, over the Thames. A barrel was floating 

 near the place, a buoy to a net that some fisher- 

 men were hauling; and we at first thought the 

 the bird was about to light upon it. This, how- 

 ever, proved a mistake ; for he descended to the 

 surface of the water, and fluttered for a few se- 

 conds with his bill and feet immersed ; he then 

 rose, flew to a little distance, and again did the 

 same; after which he made a short circuit, and 

 alighted on a barge, about fifty yards from the 

 garden, where he devoured a small fish. When 

 this was done, he made a third attempt, caught 

 another, and flew off with it in his mouth. 



Jackdaws are easily tamed ; and may be taught 

 to pronounce several words. Like the raven, 

 fhey conceal such parts of their food as they 



IIJ. NO. XVIII. J? 



