CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 245 



calico. He also has a lower monotonous rasping 

 note which he will continue uttering for half an hour 

 at a time when his curiosity or suspicion has been 

 excited." 



In regard to the nesting of the Jay, I don't think 

 I need give you any better authority than the 

 actual nest itself, which I took with eggs and the 

 hen bird sitting at the time. It was in a tree 

 situated in a wood of low birch trees — so far as 

 I remember. A keeper being with me on this 

 occasion, I remember at the time told me of a very 

 remarkable peculiarity about this species, that if the 

 hen bird found out that her nest and eggs had been 

 discovered by a human being she would certainly 

 destroy both it and the eggs and build another nest 

 elsewhere. From this it would appear that the Jay 

 had not much of a belief in the magnanimity of the 

 human race, and that any more time spent on a 

 discovered nest would be looked upon as worse than 

 useless. I must say that I was struck by this 

 characteristic feature. 



The second specimen was got some years previous, 

 about 1893 or 1894. I had rented a little pheasant 

 shooting on a farm near my brother-in-law's shooting 

 in Radnorshire ; and on one occasion when shooting 

 pheasants in a wood I annexed the bird you 

 see. 



The food of this species " consists chiefly of 

 worms, insects, berries, nuts, beechmast, acorns, and 

 fruits, also to some extent of the eggs and young of 

 other birds" (H.S.). 



