EARLY SPRING IN SAVERNAKE FOREST 95 



nineteenth century. But though my critic thus 

 " wrote it all by rote," according to the books, 

 " he did not write it right." The ancient error has 

 not, however, been repeated by all writers on the 

 subject. Seebohm, in his History of British Birds, 

 wrote : " Sometimes, especially in Spring, fortune may 

 favour you, and you will see a regular gathering of 

 these noisy birds. . . . I,t is only at this time that the 

 jay displays a social disposition ; and the birds may 

 often be heard to utter a great variety of notes, some 

 of the modulations approaching almost to a song." 



The truth of the statement I have made that 

 most of our writers on birds have strictly followed 

 Montague in his account of the jay's habits, un- 

 mistakably shows itself in all they say about the 

 bird's language. Montagu wrote in his famous 

 Dictionary of Birds (1802) : — 



" Its common notes are various, but harsh ; 

 will sometimes in spring utter a sort of song in a 

 soft and pleasing manner, but so low as not to be 

 heard at any distance ; and at intervals introduce 

 the bleatings of a Lamb, mewing of a Cat, the note 

 of a Kite or Buzzard, hooting of an Owl, and even 

 the neighing of a Horse. 



" These imitations are so exact, even in a natural 

 wild state, that we have frequently been deceived." 



