236 
JACKDAW. 
buildings, churches, office-houses, wherever there 
is an empty chimney or turret, often causing 
annoyance by stopping up those which have been 
in disuse during the spring ; and abounding in all 
our large towns, where towers, and castles, and 
spires furnish holes and niches to support or hide 
its nest. It there assembles in small parties, 
and carries on the duties of incubation, regardless 
of all the bustle around. The nest is built with 
sticks, and it is astonishing with what perseve- 
rance the birds will carry on until some vacancy 
is filled up, and a resting-place is secured for 
the nest ; but at the same time they often exhibit 
a great want of instinct, for they will continue to 
drop sticks down a wide chimney, where perhaps 
not one will remain, until cart loads have accu- 
mulated beneath. We have also seen attempts 
made to build amidst the capitals of large sup- 
porting columns, and week after week endea- 
vours to place the sticks across the projecting 
ledges or ornaments. One or two might remain 
for a short while, but were sure to be displaced 
in fresh attempts, while underneath the result of 
a morning’s labour was often as much as a single 
person could at once remove ; this we have 
known continued in the same spot for some 
years. In their more natural state, the rugged 
precipices and caves on the sea coast, and par- 
ticular localities in mountain districts, abounding 
with fissures, and clothed with ivy, seem the 
places resorted to ; aged and hollow trees are 
also sometimes chosen, but it is perhaps more 
