THE BLUE JAY, 57 



as a pet amusing.. He learns to speak a few words, 

 which is a great thing in a bird. 



It is not safe to leave valuables about where he can 

 reach them, for he is a great collector. When he is 

 free, he gathers acorns and chestnuts and stores them 

 in hollow trees. 



The Jay has without doubt planted many trees 

 where they would not otherwise have been found, for 

 he drops the nuts as he flies off with them, and if 

 they fall into good soil the Jay's children's children 

 long after may gather fruit from the trees that will 

 spring up. 



The Jay's neighbors do not like him particularly, 

 for he has one very bad habit. He cannot resist egg- 

 hunting. But for this he might not be regarded with 

 disfavor, for he sometimes renders good service. In 

 fact, when an owl comes into the woods the Jay is 

 often the first to discover him and announce his 

 presence to the other birds. 



The Jay is closely related to the Crow in this coun- 

 try, and in Europe to the jackdaw and magpie. The 

 whole family are talkative, bustling birds, very light- 

 fingered we should call them if they had fingers, but 

 for all that they are amusing, and we should miss 

 them if they were gone. 



