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says, justly that there is a practical joking element in the 

 crow, and in districts where he is let alone, there is nothing 

 he enjoys so much as buffoonery. And if he remains a bit 

 of a rogue even in security, it is in the Jack Wilton 

 manner. He is in the tradition of witty knavery or 

 Eabelaisian romp. 



OUR JACKDAW 



I send to you herewith a true account of a jackdaw 

 in case you may think it worth reproducing in your 

 paper. 



Poor Jack ! He was a good sort. We called him 

 Jack Dutton, after a cottage friend who lived on the 

 borders of a forest and brought him up for us from a 

 baby. Jack made himself quite at home, went in and 

 out of the cottage at his own sweet will, played with the 

 children, and, of course, grew mischievous. At night 

 he took up his quarters in a corner inside. When he 

 came to us he wanted the same privileges ; he preferred 

 to come into the house, and when he got inside now and 

 then would pick up unconsidered trifles in the way of 

 teaspoons and such like things. I made him a large 

 aviary in a corner of the garden, with comfortable dark 

 corners as retreats, where he was quite the lord of all he 

 surveyed. In the daytime a little trap door was always 

 open, but he seldom came out uncalled, and when he 

 did he never seemed quite happy until he got back into 

 his own domain. When cats called round he uttered a 

 particularly raucous cry that was seldom heard at other 

 times ; but cats did not trouble him much ; he had a very 

 fine beak. He would follow my wife across the lawn 

 to the summer-house and mount the back of her chair, 

 where he would amuse himself by pulling out her comb 

 and hairpins, always working on the line of least resist- 

 ance ; he would play with her ear, and tousle her hair, 



