96 A LONG DAY WITH THE BIRDS 
shoot them on every possible occasion. They 
will eat fruit of all kinds, and peas, and any 
kind of grain, but they also eat insect pests 
and slugs, which is a redeeming feature. The 
eges are five or six, of a yellowish-white 
ground colour, thickly marked with specks of 
pale olive-brown, and there are streaks of 
black at the large end. A second nest is not 
generally built in the season. The male and 
female are alike. The jay does not migrate 
and is widely distributed, though found locally. 
Small birds are much perturbed on the ap- 
proach of this depredator, as they know his 
habits by bitter experience. He is a very 
excitable and restless and noisily lively bird, 
and this alone may frighten them. We heard 
what was probably the owner of the nest, but 
could not get a sight of him The jay 
measures about thirteen inches. 
We now entered an orchard, one well known 
in this district for its fine fruit, attached to 
an old-established farmstead. 
Here was an enormous old cherry tree 
that each season bore a large crop of fruit. 
