. Natural history with anecdotes: illustrating the nature, habits, manners and customs of animals, birds, fishes, reptiles, insects, etc., etc., etc . Common Jay is indigenous in Englandwhere it secludes itself in woody fastnesses, rarely exposingitself in open country. It is a handsome bird about thirteeninches long, with beautiful blue markings on its wings, butis so shy that it is difficult to get a sight of it when atliberty. Taken young it may be easily tamed, when it becomesan amusing, if mischievous pet. It has considerable powersof mimicry and can imitate the common sounds it hears wit
. Natural history with anecdotes: illustrating the nature, habits, manners and customs of animals, birds, fishes, reptiles, insects, etc., etc., etc . Common Jay is indigenous in Englandwhere it secludes itself in woody fastnesses, rarely exposingitself in open country. It is a handsome bird about thirteeninches long, with beautiful blue markings on its wings, butis so shy that it is difficult to get a sight of it when atliberty. Taken young it may be easily tamed, when it becomesan amusing, if mischievous pet. It has considerable powersof mimicry and can imitate the common sounds it hears withwonderful exactness. The bleat of the lamb, the mew of thecat, the neigh of the horse and the cries of other birds giveexercise to this faculty, and Bewick says: We have heardone imitate the sound made by the action of a saw, so exactly,that though it was on a Sunday, we could hardly be persuadedthat the person who kept it had not a carpenter at work inthe house. Like many other birds it becomes bold in thecare and protection of its young. Knapp in his Journalsof a Naturalist says : Digitized by Microsoft® Plate No. IS MILES NATURAL Digitized by Microsoft® THE JAY. 263 This bird is always extremely timid, when its own interestor safety is solely concerned; but no sooner does its hungrybrood clamour for supply, than it loses all its wary character,and becomes a bold and impudent thief. At this period itwill visit our gardens, which it rarely approaches at othertimes, plimder them of every rsispberry, cherry, or bean, thatit can obtain, and will not cease from rapine as long as any ofthe brood or the crop remains. We see all the nestlingsapproach, and, settling near some meditated scene of plunder,quietly awciit a summons to commence. A parent birdfrom some tree, surveys the ground, then descends uponthe cherry, or into the rows, immediately announces a dis-covery, by a low but particular call, and all the family flockinto the banquet, which having finished by repeat
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1895
