SELBORNIANA. 
17 
The celebrated Laughing Jackass is about the size of our common crow, of a 
dull brown colour, with dashes of pale blue on the wing covers, and has an 
enormously powerful bill. Why ‘Jackass’ I know not, as its profile does not 
particularly resemble that of the patient donkey, nor can its voice be very aptly 
compared with either braying or laughing. Barton suggests that the word is of 
French origin, from a verb signifying to giggle. From its habit of starting its 
discordant pxan somewhere near sunrise, and, after keeping comparatively quiet 
all through the hotter hours, cackling a requiem to the day’s decline, the bird has 
been called the ‘ settler’s ckKk.’ It may be remarked, however, that this by no 
means takes place with the methodical precision that romancers write of in their 
letters home. . . . The bird is commonly supposed to laugh at anyone in trouble ; 
but I recollect on one occasion being abruptly deserted by my horse in presence 
of several of them without so much as an audible smile reaching me from the 
boughs overhead. My horse had been frightened by a small green snake lying 
in the roadway ; but as I had to make up to the animal, which was the property 
of a friend, I was unable to watch, as I could have wished, whether the reputed 
snake-killers availed themselves of the opportunity. Like the native companion, 
forbearance has made a fearless bird of it ; and it roosts freely in the various 
botanic gardens, or remains sedately perched on the telegraph wires along the 
railroads, undisturbed by the leisurely rattle of the passing ‘express.’” 
.Several other volumes stand over for notice. 
SELBORNIANA. 
“Noble Sport.” — Surely the verses entitled “Noble Sjxrrt ” in Nature 
Notes for December are a good illustration of the exaggerated and misplaced 
sentimentality, which, as you say in “ Falsehood of E.xtremes ” in the same 
number, must tend to endanger the objects of the Selborne Society. 
Rabbits in a warren are of course only allowed to exist at all Irecause it is 
profitable to breed them as a food supply, for which purpose it is evident that 
they are useless until they are killed, and probably no means of killing them is 
more humane than the gun in skilful hands. To write pathetic verses over their 
fate is about as reasonable as to elevate the murder of the thousands of happy 
and innocent young geese and turkeys required for the Christmas market into a 
horrible tragedy. I allow that the feat of killing ten rabbits a minute for sixty 
consecutive minutes is more akin to the wonders accomplished by certain pork 
butchers in Chicago than to anything we should naturally call sport ; but surely if 
a nobleman and his friend like to exhibit their skill as amateur butchers, 
we can hold them no more morally blameworthy than any other butchers who 
instead of rabbits slaughter sheep or pigs, though we may perhaps wonder at their 
taste. 
G. E. W, 
Barras Head. — Our readers may be interested to learn that Barras Head 
in Cornwall is now the property of the National Trust. This beautiful point 
forms one side of King Arthur’s Cove, and overlooks the old ruins of Tintagel 
Castle ; and it is gratifying to know' that the purchase money has been fully 
subscribed. The Trust is also at work, repairing the old clergy house at Alfriston, 
an interesting relic of the common life led by the priests of the middle ages. 
>^155 have been already expended, and an appeal made to the readers of this 
magazine on behalf of the Trust was met with a generous response to the amount 
of £ 3 S- Funds, however, are still urgently needed to the amount of £200 lest 
the workmen should have to be withdrawn, a serious danger to the building in its 
present condition. Subscriptions may be sent to Miss Octavia Hill, 190, 
Marylebone Road, or, to the Treasurer of the National Trust, i, Gt. College 
Street, Westminster. 
A Plea for the Peewits. — I beg to call your attention to the cruelty that 
is annually practised on that beautiful &rd, the common lapwing. I allude to 
the custom of taking its eggs till the poor bird can lay no more. Not only does 
