110 BIRD-KEEPER'S MANUAL. 



thing they can find, for they distribute these seeds 

 in such a scattering manner that it is not possible 

 that they could ever find nine-tenths of them 

 again, when the snow is on the ground. I have 

 seen one of these birds, with a large acorn in his 

 mouth, alight on the top of a gate post, and put 

 the acorn in the centre, where the pith was de- 

 cayed, and hammer it down with his bill ; so that 

 if any of my readers should see a sapling grow- 

 ing out of a gate post, which is not uncommon, 

 they may conclude that Mr. Jay was the planter. 

 I have seen them put them at the root of a bush, 

 and in a hollow in the open field, and strike 

 them down with their bill in the same manner. 

 It is said, and there is no doubt of it, that in this 

 manner, and by dropping those seeds in trans- 

 portation, those birds plant vast numbers of our 

 forest trees. Their antics and attitudes in a cage 

 are highly amusing ; they are also by no means 

 contemptible songsters ; some of their high notes 

 I will allow, are rather loud, but they have some 

 low notes which are very musical. They will 

 also imitate the notes of other birds. They are 

 also very docile ; they will answer to their name, 

 and form a strong attachment to those who keep 

 them ; and, it is said, have been taught to articu- 

 late words. I kept a pair for sometime in a cage 



