The Jay 



THE Jay is a very beautiful and cunning 

 bird. It lives in woods and spinneys 

 and is not often seen in the open country. 

 Gamekeepers dislike it very much, because 

 it sometimes sucks the eggs of other birds, 

 and gardeners shoot it because it occasion- 

 ally eats peas and cherries. 



During the autumn and winter its harsh 

 loud call notes, that sound something like 

 "rake, rake" may frequently be heard in 

 any wood where the bird lives, but in the 

 spring-time it is singularly silent, unless 

 there is a cat or a fox prowling about. Of 

 course, this is very wise and helps to keep 

 the whereabouts of its nest and eggs or chicks 

 a secret. You may walk close past a Jay's 

 nest day after day and never suspect its 

 presence unless you happen to catch sight of 

 it in its thick leafy bower. It is made of 

 sticks and twigs and lined with rootlets. 



The Jay lays from five to seven eggs of 



