6S 
In some parts of the country jackdaws breed in large colonies 
in the clefts and crevices of rocky marine cliffs or in similar sites far 
inland. In the top of a thick fir-tree on the outskirts of a small 
plantation is another favourite site for a small colony. Hollow 
trees, church towers, old ruins, thick ivy, chimney-pots, and rabbit- 
burrows are all favourite sites for odd pairs. When the chosen site 
is small very little nest is made, but should a church-tower or large 
hollow tree be chosen the jackdaws appear to make it their solemn 
duty to fill up the whole allotted space with an enormous collection 
of sticks and twigs, and line one corner of this pile with hair 
and wool to receive four or five blue eggs, sparingly marked with 
bold black and dark-grey markings. 
The jackdaw is supposed to have a natural weakness for anything 
bright or gaudy, often picking up and weaving into its nest scraps of 
bright-coloured or silver paper. 
It makes a most interesting pet if taken from the nest young, and 
can occasionally be taught to talk. 
Kingfisher (Pages 29 and 30). — This gorgeous bird is well known 
to all by name although comparatively few can claim to have seen 
the bird in the flesh. It is fairly well distributed throughout the 
country and is not nearly so rare as is imagined. The head, neck 
and upper side generally are of a brilliant glossy greenish-blue, 
and shaded red below. The bright red feet are extremely 
small and have two toes in frout and two below similar to 
the parrot’s. It is oftener met with in fiat or low-lying districts than 
in a mountainous locality. The rapid tumbling mountain-streams 
which the dipper delights in are unsuited to the kingfisher. It is 
only found when the stream has widened out and runs slowly. 
The kingfisher is such a shy retiring little bird that it is difficult 
to get more than a glimpse of it as it suddenly dashes up stream 
in a dead straight line close to the surface of the water, and is out of 
sight round the bend in the stream before you have time to realise 
that it really was a kingfisher. If it were not for the fact that it 
invariably utters its shrill little scream of alarm on catching sight of 
you it would often escape all but the most observant eye. When 
fishing it quietly sits under an overhanging bank of the stream 
almost hidden from view by the hanging bushes with its big head 
cocked on one side watching out of one eye for its prey to swim 
past. When the fish is almost beneath it, it drops straight down 
like a stone, on top of the unsuspecting fish (which it often fails to 
secure) and returns to its perch to turn it round and swallow it 
head first. 
It is very particular in choosing the site of its nesting hole, 
which it tunnels out in the clay bank of the streams entirely with its 
beak, its tiny little feet being utterly useless for such an undertaking. 
The tunnel is dug into the bank for about three feet and terminates 
in a dome-shaped chamber. No nest whatever is built, the first egg 
being laid on the bare soil, but as the sitting bird casts up the undigested 
bones of the fish which have been swallowed, quite a good bed 
is deposited by the time the full clutch of seven eggs have been laid. 
The eggs are almost round and have a highly polished surface. 
When fresh the yolk shows through the semi-transparent white 
shell, giving them a lovely pink blush, but they are very 
disappointing on being blown, becoming a very commonplace white. 
