MERCY KILLING
It has been noticed that jackdaws show great con- cern for a stricken member of their community and that, when this bird's condition seems acute, the rest put it out of its misery. Most wild creatures kill the sickly and maimed member of their particular family: Whether they do so with compassion is beyond me to say, but I was discussing this behaviour with some- one who had been carefully watching some domestic fowls and thought that something very like mercy killing took place. In this case the stricken bird had an affliction that might have been rheumatics, causing it great, discomfort and preventing it from moving very far. It was, in short, 'at the mercy' of other hens had they wished to kill for the sake of killing. The
sick bird continued to feed but could move only with great difficulty, and the owner of the hens thought that perhaps the time had come to deal with the unwell bird. A visit to the hen-run was made for this purpose and the sick hen was found to have been attacked by the flock, was bleeding profusely and died shortly afterwards. What was significant in the observer's opinion was that had the flock wished to kill the sick one they could have done so days before when it was equally vulnerable, but less seriously afflicted.
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