JACKDAWS AND MEN.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE aSPROTATOR."] .SIR,—The following statement, the accuracy of which I can guarantee, may perhaps interest some of your readers. On Saturday last one of my children purchased two young jack- daws from a boy, who probably had taken them from their nest. Jackdaws abound in this island. The young birds were fully fledged, but were scarcely able to fly. They were left for the night on a balcony, in the belief that they could not escape. Early on Sunday morning, two old jackdaws made their appear- ance, and after some trouble, succeeded in taking the young birds on their back, and then began to fly away with them. Unfortunately, the old birds were startled by the barking of our dogs, and in their panic the little birds fell to the ground. The servants, who witnessed this attempt at rescue, picked up the young birds, and put them into a place of security. One of the birds was apparently injured by its fall, and died a few hours afterwards. Later in the day, as I was sitting in the garden, 1 saw eight jackdaws circling in the air, and uttering loud cries.
Seeing this, I brought the surviving youngling out from its cage, and turned it loose into the garden. I then made every human being quit the garden, and ordered a strict watch to be kept from the house. In a short time, the eight jackdaws descended, and called the little one to them. It made a feeble effort to fly, but could only succeed in reaching the .lowermost bough of a small tree. Then, one of the old jackdaws, coming to it, induced it to mount on him, and then the whole party went off in triumph. This was witnessed by several persons. I do not think that the jackdaws' nest can have been near to my house, which is surrounded by other houses, and has no large trees or rocks in its immediate vicinity.
How did the bereaved old birds find out where their young ones were P How, when they had failed in their first attempt at rescue, did they manage to call in the assistance of friends P I am induced to believe with Cowper, that jackdaws are wiser than men. If, during the Berlin Congress, Lord Cairns and Lord Craubrook, with the rest of the Cabinet, had flown to Berlin and brought home those two callow fledgelings, Lords 'eaconsfield and Salisbury, on their backs, the fate of the East -might have been changed. I should like to have seen their homeward procession, and would gladly have lent the Minis- terial jackdaws some plumes for their triumphant return.-1 am, Sir, &e., FRANK IVES SCUDAMORE. Prildeip0, Sect of Mamoru, June 24th.
P.S.—One of my sons declares that the young birds which my little girl purchased were young crows, and not young jack- daws. I think that he is wrong, for I have been well acquainted with crows and jackdaws for many years, but as I do not wish to do any dishonour to the ancient family of my old friend "maitre Corbeau," I give my son's view for what it is worth.
So far as the instinct and the intelligence of the birds are con- cerned, it matters little whether they were jackdaws or crows.
Politically, I should not be much troubled if the Berlin Con- gress had been terminated either by the Conservative jackdaws -or by the Liberal crows.
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