76 THE JACKDAW 



in the shape of ticks, not to speak of the friend he is to 

 the grazier in ridding his beasts of the flies that harass 

 and nearly madden them at times. This goes far beyond 

 making up for the eggs of small birds, pheasants and 

 partridges. It is on record that 400 maggots, each an 

 inch in length, have been taken from one wretched 

 beast, and of the Ox Bot-fly we read that the eggs having 

 been laid in the hair on the skin of cattle and the mag- 

 gots being hatched out, these eat their w 7 ay through the 

 skin, and,taking a lodging beneath it, they form large 

 tumours known as warbles. The grub can enlarge this 

 at will through a breathing hole left in the skin. After 

 staying in these horrible quarters for ten or eleven 

 months, feeding on the nastiness there, it creeps out, 

 drops to the ground, and buries itself to pass through the 

 pupa stage, whence it emerges a winged fly. Then 

 there is the Sheep Bot-fly w^hich is worse still, laying 

 its eggs in the nostrils of sheep. The maggots force 

 their way upwards as far as the bones of the forehead 

 where they abide for about nine months, causing vertigo 

 and staggers, and sometimes death. Finally they de- 

 scend by the nostrils and are got rid of by the poor 

 sheep's sneezing. They get so to ground and bury 

 themselves. From the pupa they pass to the winged 

 stage so as to lay eggs in summer. 



Who that has seen our bird on the back of one of these 

 tormented creatures could ever complain of " that wicked 

 Jackdaw." 



The gardener also may welcome it with justice. Ear- 

 wigs and spiders, with their white bags of eggs or young, 

 Jackey makes short work of, also snails. It is true he 

 takes ripe fruit, peas, etc., but we may not grudge one 

 of the very best of our bird lovers a tithe of the produce 



