THE JACKDAWS. 
9 
jj st \‘^ e Rooks, while in the wilder parts of Central Asia the 
blr d is a regular camp-follower. 
Nest — This is a huge and bulky structure, placed in a lofty 
fee or on a cliff. When unmolested the bird occupies the 
sa me nest year after year, merely repairing or adding some- 
what to the structure, which consists of a mass of sticks and 
eather, with a dense lining of sheep’s wool or something 
equally soft. The Raven breeds very early in the year, and 
e e ggs are laid by the end of February or the beginning 
°t March. 
., Eg ' g ' 3 — These are scarcely so large as might be expected from 
., le s ' ze of the bird, and often do not greatly exceed those of 
. le Carrion Crow in size. The clutch varies from three to six 
th . n y m ^ er i an d the ground colour is bluish or greyish green, 
, ly blotched and overlaid with brown. The ground- 
lc> ur is sometimes pale greenish blue, and in such eggs the 
arkings are fewer and more distinct. Axis, i'85-2 - i inches; 
lam -> I ’ 2 S-i'4 inch. (Plate XXIX., Fig. 2.) 
THE JACKDAWS. GENUS COLCEUS. 
Coloeus, Kaup., Skizz., Natiirl. Syst., p. 114 (1829). 
Type, C. monedula (Linn.). 
of "th 16 mem hers °f this genus resemble the Ravens in the form 
Ce , e ' Vln _g, having a long first primary, which equals or ex- 
h 0 \ S t ' nnerm °st secondaries in length. In general form, 
bird^' tf’ J ac kdaws are different from the last-mentioned 
b ea ^’ . av ing a very short bill, which is not even as long as the 
hn;i r ltse ^- They also generally build in holes of trees, or in 
S ngs ’ under shdter 
called^! p > - edes d Jackdaw are known, one of them, the so- 
other f ^sh-Crow,” being found in North America, while the 
Jackd ° Ur ' ar - C P ecu ^ ar t0 the Old World. Of these, our common 
from T W i! S * oun< ^ throughout the greater part of Europe, while 
White- east wards to Central Asia its place is taken by the 
China h J ackdaw ( Colceus co/laris), and still further, in 
ne g/ectu^\ J a P an ! >t is replaced by the Chinese Jackdaw ( Colceus 
ar “other f ® astern Siberia, China, and Japan occurs still 
ortn > the White-collared Jackdaw ( Colxus dauricus). 
