254 EUROPEAN JAY. 



seats, and in parks, and. some of the forests in the 

 middle Highlands. It is common both in Perth 

 and Argyllshires, but we are not sure that it ex- 

 tends to the forests of the far north. In Ire- 

 land it inhabits some of the more southern coun- 

 ties. The Jay is strictly arboreal in its habits, 

 seldom settling on the ground, and never, we 

 believe, feeding there in the manner of the True 

 Crows. The food, nevertheless, consists of nearly 

 all the materials furnished by the forest, garden, 

 or farm yard, acorns and beech mast, with the 

 seeds of the forest trees, sometimes different 

 grains ; the eggs of other birds, sometimes the 

 young birds themselves, and almost every pro- 

 duce of the garden, in seeds or fruits, are con- 

 stantly plundered, particularly the various wall 

 fruit. For this purpose, excursions are made 

 early in the morning, and the hoarse and peculiar 

 cry of the watchers will often rouse a host of 

 respondent plunderers, when the voice or ap- 

 pearance of the gardener calls their attention to 

 danger. Residing in a district where the Jay is 

 not immediately common, we have not had a 

 constant opportunity of seeing them, but when 

 visiting where they abounded, we have delighted 

 in watching^their manners. They are imitators 

 artificially, as all the Corvidce are, but not natu- 

 rally we think, and we have not heard in a wild 

 state other notes than what would by most be 

 termed rather discordant, no appearance of the 

 " low song" in spring mentioned by Montague ; 

 still we know that gentleman to have been a 



