JAY. 119 



it was on a Sunday, we could hardly be persuaded that there 

 was not a carpenter at work in the house." A correspondent 

 in the Magazine of Natural History, says, " I have heard the 

 Jay perform an uninterrupted song-. It mocked the Green- 

 finch most inimitably, and it was a considerable time before I 

 could persuade myself that it was an imitation. But what 

 amused me most of all was its production of the neighing of 

 a horse. This was so near the truth, that some companions 

 who were with me, were a long time before they could be con- 

 vinced that the sounds proceeded from the bird. The neigh- 

 ing was very subdued and suppressed, but it bore the most 

 striking resemblance to the neighing of a colt at a distance ; 

 indeed, so close was the imitation, that, without a sight of 

 the bird, no person could possibly, I think, be persuaded 

 that the sound proceeded from such an agent. These imi- 

 tations were accompanied, occasionally, with more subdued 

 and very melodious notes." 



I have been favoured with a communication on this sub- 

 ject from G. W. Edginton, Esq. surgeon, of Binfield in 

 Berkshire, who, at the time of writing, had a male Jay that 

 became an excellent mimic before it was twelve months old. 

 The calling of the fowls to their food, and the various noises 

 of the fowls themselves were given in perfection ; but the 

 crowing of the cock was not managed so well. The imita- 

 tions of the barking and cry of the house dog could not be 

 distinguished from the sounds made by the original. 



As before observed, the Jay is common in England and 

 inhabits some of the midland and more southern counties of 

 Ireland, but is said to have been much more common there 

 formerly than now, because, being considered to do injury 

 to young trees, by a statute of the 17th of George the Se- 

 cond, Grand Juries were empowered to offer three pence for 

 the head of each Jay, which reward soon had the effect of 

 thinninff their number. 



