66 
NATURE NOTES. 
attacks on grubs by rooks, the outpulling of worms by blackbirds 
and robins, the flies caught by swifts, swallows, martins and 
flycatchers, and tree insects by creepers, titmice and woodpeckers, 
one trembles to think of a birdless world, and appreciates the 
plague that the ignorant burgesses of Killingworth brought on 
themselves. 
The growth of self-assertiveness in young jackdaws is most 
amusing. We watched one season the first flight of the young 
ones from the family chimney. I wish we could realize the 
sensations of the young birds, suddenly emerging as they do 
from darkness into light! The height seemed a dizzy one, to 
one at least of the party. The most adventurous spirit first 
tried his wings and flew to an opposite tree, then another 
followed, both escorted by parents and friends. One more 
timorous, probably the last hatched, waited “ lingering, shiver- 
ing on the brink.” Backwards and forwards flew the old birds, 
whilst friends and relations squawked discordant encourage- 
ment. The black wings fluttered— not yet ; back went the young 
bird to look longingly down the chimney at its nest, when a 
sudden shove from one of its parents made it stretch its wings 
by instinct, and once feeling the joy of flight, it flew across 
to the tree whither its brothers and sisters had preceded it. 
Deference to parents is short-lived in the jackdaw disposition. 
One morning, very early, hearing sounds of warfare, I looked 
out, fearing to see a bird tragedy. A few crumbs left over-night 
had been appropriated by a family of jackdaws. A young one, 
easily distinguishable by his black collar, turned on the parent 
bird, and, seizing him by the throat, shook him in his indigna- 
tion because more food was not forthcoming! The unhappy 
parent shrieked, but the moment for leaving his unruly young 
was not yet come, so attempting no defence, he meekly went in 
search of more food, followed by the young ones, who pecked 
him and beat him with their wings. We are often angry with 
the jackdaw’s behaviour to the smaller birds; after this we 
realise that even amongst birds “ no doubt there’s something 
strikes a balance 1 ” 
It chanced last year that I witnessed in two or three instances 
the moment when parent bird or young one realized that the 
time of dependence must end. A blackbird was feeding a 
young one on our lawn, when the ungrateful child, suddenly 
finding something for itself, at once turned and pecked the 
parent bird for offering it .some morsel. The old bird opened 
wide its beak and hissed, then closing his beak he flew away, 
leaving the young one to its own devices. Young chaffinches, 
after they are able to feed themselves, occasionally resume their 
absurd habit of wobbling before their parents in the hopes of 
securing some dainty. I saw a chaffinch one day relent so far 
as to place a crumb on the young one’s beak, then pointing his 
sharp beak at it, he darted off, having plainly given it to under- 
stand that for the future it must depend on its own exertions. 
