CORVID^E. 83 



known over the greatest part of the British Islands, and 

 gives animation to many a deserted ruin and scene of na- 

 tural and solitary grandeur. It breeds in abbeys, castles, 

 towers, and spires, in cliffs, ancient and hollow trees, and 

 even rabbit-burrows ; but " perhaps there is no instance," 

 Mr. Waterton remarks, " in the annals of ornithology, which 

 tells of the Jackdaw ever building its nest in the open air." 



The nest is composed of sticks (a very careless struc- 

 ture generally), and lined with wool or any soft materials 

 which can be procured ; and the eggs, usually four or five 

 in number, but occasionally six, are of a very pale green 

 spotted with grey and greenish-brown. 



The industry of these birds is often very remarkable, 

 though not always wisely directed, for they will sometimes 

 drop sticks down a wide chimney, where perhaps not one 

 will remain, until cartloads have accumulated beneath. Mr. 

 Jesse however mentions a nest in the bell-tower of Eton 

 College, the construction of which, while it displayed great 

 perseverance and industry, showed no small amount of skill 

 and contrivance likewise. The nest to which we have re- 

 ferred occupied the top of a stack-like pillar of sticks ten 

 feet high, which cost the ingenious and persevering archi- 

 tects seventeen days of greater or less exertion to erect. 

 " One circumstance struck me as very curious," says Mr. 



