148 HANDBOOK OF BRITISH INLAND BIRDS 
JACKDAW. 
(Corvus monedula.) 
Everyone knows the Jackdaw wild, even if 
they have not the pleasure of the acquaintance of 
a tame one, and, as might he expected from his 
excellent capacity for looking after himself, the 
Jackdaw is one of the birds which are notably 
bettering their position, and extending their range 
at the expense of others. The particular species 
which has most suffered at the Jackdaw's hands is 
his own near relative the Chough, which has dis- 
appeared from several stretches of seacoast cliff 
since the Jackdaw's comparatively recent appear- 
ance there. Jackdaw and Magpie run each other 
very close for the position of second most intelli- 
gent member in this country, of the most intelli- 
gent of all bird-families, the great tribe of Crows. 
The first place among British competitors can 
scarcely be refused to the Raven, though the 
world's championship would undoubtedly be held 
by the Indian House Crow. Next to the Rook, 
the Jackdaw is the most gregarious of his tribe ; 
but the greater difficulty of securing the nesting 
situations which he needs has made him tolerate 
isolated quarters at nesting-time if he cannot find 
a suitable hole in the near neighbourhood of the 
