MAGPIES. 225 



a prize, and carries off to its hoard. In the ruins of 

 Holyrood Chapel in Edinburgh, a Jackdaw was one day 

 seen flying away with a large piece of laoe towards its 

 nest ; a soldier undertook to climb up and recover it. 

 He did so, but was surprised to find, not only the stolen 

 lace, but the following strange assortment of articles : 

 part of a worsted stocking, a silk handkerchief, a frill, a 

 child's cap, besides several other things, but so ragged 

 and worn out, that it was impossible to make out what 

 they were. 



JAYS AND MAGPIES. 



IT is remarkable how exactly similar are the habits 

 and propensities of birds of the same tribe or family, 

 though of a different species. Thus the Jays of North 

 America are of various sorts, entirely differing from our 

 English Jays in parts, or the whole of their plumage ; 

 and yet in their manners scarcely a difference is observ- 

 able. We have before remarked that these and some 

 other birds will just keep out of the range of gun-shot, 

 as if they had learned, either from experience, or by some 

 unknown mode of communication from their older com- 

 panions, that provided they never allowed a shooter to 

 come within a given distance, they were quite safe. But 

 the American Jays we are speaking of have no such 

 knowledge, founded upon experience, as is fully proved 

 by the account of an English officer*, who was travelling 

 in a very wild unfrequented part of North America, 

 where no gunners had ever gone before him, and no Jay 

 could therefore have ever learned the proper distance to 

 keep, in order to ensure its safety. Yet there they were, 

 exactly like our common English Jays, shy and cautious, 

 as if they had been hunted by sportsmen every day of 

 their lives, keeping at a certain distance, with that occa- 

 sional clatter and chattering so well known to those who 

 have patiently and perseveringly pursued from copse to 



* Captain Sir Francis Head. 



Q 



