THE JACKDAW. 



109 



some of the finest trees in this part of Yorkshire, 

 At the approach of breeding-time, a pair of jack- 

 daws took possession of it, and reared their young 

 in shelter ; while the rooks performed a similar 

 duty on the top of the same tree, exposed to all the 

 rigours of an English spring. This success induced 

 me to appropriate other conveniences for the in- 

 cubation of the jackdaw ; and I have now the sa- 

 tisfaction to see an uninterrupted fellowship exist, 

 the year throughout, between the jackdaw and the 

 rook. 



Those who are of opinion that birds are gifted 

 with a certain portion of reasoning, superior to 

 that which is usually denominated instinct, will 

 have cause for reflection, should they ever examine 

 the materials of a jackdaw's nest, or pay any at- 

 tention to the mode by which the bird tries to 

 introduce those materials into the hole. The jack- 

 daw invariably carries into it a certain quantity of 

 sticks, fully as thick as those which are, made use cf 

 by the rook. Now, it always occurs to us that the 

 rook conveys sticks up to the branches of a tree in 

 order to make a kind of frame which may support 

 the inner parts of the nest. But why should the 

 jackdaw deposit a large heap of strong sticks in the 

 hole which is already calculated to support every 

 kind of material proper for a nest ? Then, again : 

 how the act itself of introducing those apparently 

 useless sticks causes us to suspend our judgment, 

 before we finally conclude that the bird is endowed 

 with any sort of reasoning superior to what is com- 

 monly denominated the instinct of brutes ! You 



