36 



my window, from which I had, therefore, unusual oppor- 

 tunities of observing them. For my own part I am 

 convinced that they use the last year's nest as a basis for 

 the new one. 



I have at various times observed a rook with several white 

 feathers in its wing, belonging to the rookery near the 

 village of Kennet, not far from Silbury. 



Corvus monedula. 



Jackdaw. 



EGG OBSERVED. 



April 11th, 1865. 

 April 15th, 1866. 

 April -iOth, 1867. 

 April 13th, 1868. 

 April 22nd, 1869. 

 1870. 

 The Jackdaw is another of our common forest birds, to 

 which the hollow trees in the grand old beech avenues 

 afford such abundant shelter. 



The e^g of this species is very liable to variation from 

 the ordinary colour to pure white, cream colour, or drab. I 

 have two white ones in my collection, taken in April, 1868, 

 at Ramsbury. 



There is one curious habit of this bird almost peculiar to 

 this neighbourhood. They build in the branches of the 

 thick fir trees in Rockly copse, where they use the same 

 nest year after year, adding to it annually till some of 

 them have obtained an immense size. 



