70 BIRDS AND MAN 



hundred couples at least — breed in the cavities 

 behind the stone statues, standing, each in its 

 niche, in rows, tier above tier, on the west front. 

 In April, when the daws are busiest at their 

 nest-building, I have amused myself early every 

 morning watching them flying to the front in a 

 constant procession, every bird bringing his stick. 

 This work is all done in the early morning, and 

 about half-past eight o'clock a man comes with 

 a barrow to gather up the fallen sticks — there is 

 always a big barrowful, heaped high, of them ; 

 and if not thus removed the accumulated material 

 would in a few days form a rampart or zareba, 

 which would prevent access to the cathedral on 

 that side. 



It has often been observed that the daw, albeit 

 so clever a bird, shows a curious deficiency of 

 judgment when building, in his persistent efforts 

 to carry in sticks too big for the cavity. Here, 

 for instance, each morning in turning over the 

 litter of fallen material I picked up sticks measur- 

 ing from four or five to seven feet in length. 

 These very long sticks were so slender and dry 

 that the bird was able to lift and to fly with 

 them ; therefore, to his corvine mind, they were 



