46 BIRDS AND MAN 



daw for its services. In Savernake Forest I 

 once witnessed a very pretty little scene. I 

 noticed a doe lying down by herself in a grassy 

 hollow, and as I passed her at a distance of about 

 fifty yaMs it struck me as singular that she kept 

 her head so low down that I could only see the 

 top of it on a level with her back. Walking 

 round to get a better sight, I saw a jackdaw 

 standing on the turf before her, very busily 

 pecking at her face. With my glass I was able 

 to watch his movements very closely ; he pecked 

 round her eyes, then her nostrils, her throat, 

 and in fact every part of her face ; and just 

 as a man when being shaved turns his face 

 this way and that under the gentle guiding 

 touch of the barber's fingers, and lifts up his 

 chin to allow the razor to pass beneath it, so 

 did the doe raise and lower and turn her face 

 about to enable the bird to examine and reach 

 every part with his biU. Finally the daw left the 

 face, and, moving round, jumped on to the deer's 

 shoulders and began a minute search in that 

 part ; having finished this he jumped on to the 

 head and pecked at the forehead and round the 

 bases of the ears. The pecking done, he remained 



