24 BIRDS IN TOWN AND VILLAGE 



I was assured by Melford that his birds never 

 carried off and concealed bright objects, a habit which 

 it has been said the jay as well as the magpie possesses. 



" What would he do with this shilling if I tossed 

 it to him s"' I asked. 



" Catch it," he returned. " It would simply be 

 play to him, but he wouldn't carry it off." 



I tossed up the shilling, and the bird had perhaps 

 expected me to do so, as he deftly caught it just as a 

 dog catches a biscuit when you toss one to him. 

 After keeping it a few moments in his beak he put 

 it down at his side. I took out four more shilling 

 pieces and tossed them quickly one by one, and he 

 caught them without a miss and placed them one 

 by one with the other, not scattered about but in a 

 neat pile. Then, seeing that I had no xaotz shillings, 

 he flew off. 



After these few playful passages with one of his 

 birds, I could understand Melford's feeling about 

 his free pet jays, magpies, and jackdaws ; they were 

 not merely birds to him but rather like so many 

 delightful little children in the beautiful shape of 

 birds. 



There was no rookery in or near the village, but a 

 large flock of rooks were always to be seen feeding 

 and sunning themselves in some level meadows near 

 the river. It struck me one day as a very fine sight. 



