JACKDAW'S HONESTY. 229 



boldest man of the place would dare to do for a 

 kingdom. 



The jackdaw is about the same size and weight as 

 the magpie, but it is a much more active bird upon the 

 wing, and its voice is more shrill than any of the rest 

 of the family. It is continually in motion, and making 

 a noise ; and, in the pairing time, it has some of those 

 habits of flirtation which have enabled poets to turn the 

 pigeon to so much account. The general colour of the 

 jackdaw is black, but the beak and shoulder have a 

 grey shade, which is more conspicuous in the male 

 than in the female ; and when the bird is in good 

 health and condition, the black is irridescent, and shows 

 various shades of green and purple. The bird is easily 

 tamed, and susceptible of some teaching, but it is very 

 apt to pilfer. At country churches, where it frequents 

 the steeple, a situation to which it is very partial, we 

 have heard it accused of very profane theft. At those 

 places, in the north, a collection is made in a salver 

 outside the door ; and if sixpence or a shilling finds its 

 way among the copper donations, the jackdaw is ac- 

 cused of pouncing down and purloining it ; but we 

 have no proof against it. As little have we observed 

 any case of another species of theft of which it has 

 been accused, that of taking the eggs of other birds. 

 Indeed, it is so long about its own nesting place in that 

 season, that it is not in the way of many nests except 

 those of the sparrow, and we have not seen it annoy 

 them. It is not, however, very delicate in its feeding, 

 and often acts the scavenger in those places which it 

 frequents. Jackdaws have for a long time been inha- 

 bitants of the upper parts of the walls of Windsor 



