THE JACK-DAW. 189 



nest; both are generally of sticks, but the jack-daw uses a 

 lining of softer matters. The difference of their notes easily 

 distinguishes the two species, even when they are so blended 

 and distant that the sight cannot. The Scotch names, "craa" 

 and " kae," are perhaps as expressive of their sounds as names 

 can well be. 



In some places, one would think that there is more in their 

 winter associating than merely accidental meeting on the 

 same pastures. In the latter part of the season, when the 

 rooks from one of the most extensive rookeries in Britain 

 made daily excursions of about six miles, to the warm grounds 

 by the sea-side, and in their flight passed over a deep ravine 

 in the rocky sides (or rather side, for they inhabited the 

 sunny one) on which there were many jack-daws, I have 

 observed that when the cawing of the rooks on their morning 

 flight was heard at the ravine, the jack-daws, which had 

 previously been still and quiet, instantly raised their shriller 

 notes, and flew out to join the rooks, both parties clamouring 

 loudly as if welcoming each other; and that, on the return, 

 the time of which was no bad augury of the weather of the 

 succeeding day, the daws accompanied the rooks a little past 

 the ravine; then both cawed their farewell, and departed. 

 What is more singular, I have seen, too frequently for its 

 being merely accidental, a daw return for a short time to the 

 rooks, a rook to the daws, or one from each race meet 

 between, and be noisy together for a space after the bands 

 had separated. With the reason I do not interfere, not 

 being in the secrets of either party ; but the fact is as certain 

 as it is curious. In order that any one who pleases may 

 investigate the matter, I may mention that the rooks were 

 from the woods of Panmure, the daws from the den of 

 Pitairley, and the feeding-ground was the low part of the 

 parishes of Monifeith and Barry, all in the county of Angus. 



From the ease with which jack-daws can be observed, there 



