27 JULY 1912, Page 16

JACKDAWS AND THEFT.

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIB,—As I was sitting on the lawn chatting with some friends on Sunday last with the thermometer over eighty degrees in the shade we noticed a jackdaw making repeated attempts to enter my friend's bedroom window, which was partly open, with what intention we were unable to guess. We thought,

perhaps, the bird was in search of water, which he could see in the jugs. Eventually he flew away.

Two or three days afterwards, when my friend awaked in the morning, the same bird evidently was sitting on his dressing-table, and on getting up my friend missed a gold pin that was lying on the table the night before. No one had entered the room in the meantime. Is it common for jack- daws to steal ornaments and trinkets like their celebrated relation in " The Jackdaw of Rheims " ?—I am, Sir, &c., B.