THE JACKDAW 61 



fearless bird ; its nest is invariably placed in a small tree or bush 

 adjoining some farm or cottage, and not unfrequently in the very 

 midst of some straggling village. If there happens to be a suitable 

 tree by the roadside and near a house, it is a very favourable locality 

 for a Norwegian Magpie's nest. I have often wondered to see the 

 confidence and fearlessness displayed by this bird in Norway ; 

 he will only just move out of your horse's way as you drive by 

 him on the road, and should he be perched on a rail by the roadside 

 he will only stare at you as you rattle by, but never think of moving 

 off. It is very pleasant to see this absence of fear of man in Nor- 

 wegian birds ; a Norwegian would never think of terrifying a bird 

 for the sake of sport ; whilst, I fear, to see such a bird as the Magpie 

 sitting quietly on a rail within a few feet, would be to an English 

 boy a temptation for assault which he could not resist. I must 

 add, however, with regard to Magpies, that there is a superstitious 

 prejudice for them current throughout Norway ; they are con- 

 sidered harbingers of good luck, and are consequently always 

 invited to preside over the house ; and, when they have taken up 

 their abode in the nearest tree, are defended from all ill ; and he 

 who should maltreat the Magpie has perhaps driven off the genius 

 loci, and so may expect the most furious anger of the neighbouring 

 dwelling, whose good fortune he has thus violently dispersed.' 

 Faith in the prophetic powers of the Magpie even yet lingers in 

 many of the rural districts of England also. 



THE JACKDAW 



CORVUS MONEDULA 



Crown of the head and upper parts black, with violet reflections ; back of the 

 head and nape grey ; lower parts duller black ; iris white ; beak and feet 

 black. Length thirteen inches ; breadth twenty-seven inches. Eggs 

 very light blue, with scattered spots of ash-colour and dark brown. 



This lively and active bird, inferior in size as well as dignity to the 

 Rook, yet in many respects resembles it so closely that it might 

 be fabled to have made the Rook its model, and to have exercised 

 its imitative powers in the effort to become the object of its admira- 

 tion. A vain effort, however ; for nature has given to it a slender 

 form, a shriller voice, a partially grey mantle, and an instinct which 

 compels it to be secretive even in the placing of its nest. Its 

 note, which may be represented either by the syllable ' jack ' or 

 ' daw ', according to the fancy of the human imitator, sounds like 

 an impertinent attempt to burlesque the full ' caw ' of the Rook ; 

 it affects to be admitted into the society of that bird on equal 

 terms ; but whether encouraged as a friend, or tolerated as a 

 parasite whom it is less troublesome to treat with indifference than 

 to chase away, is difficult to decide. Most probably the latter ; 



