JAY. 



neighing of a horse. These imitations are so exact, says 

 Montagu, even in a natural wild state, that we have fre- 

 quently been deceived. Bewick says, " We have heard 

 one imitate the sound of a saw so exactly, that though it 

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

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

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

 heard the Jay perform an uninterrupted song. It mocked 

 the Greenfinch most inimitably, and it was a considerable 

 time before I could persuade myself that it was an imita- 

 tion. But what amused me most of all was, its imitation 

 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 convinced that the sounds proceeded 

 from the bird. The neighing was very subdued and sup- 

 pressed, 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 imitations were accompanied, 

 occasionally, with more subdued and very melodious 

 notes." 



I have been favoured with a communication on this sub- 

 ject from Gr. 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 

 imitations 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 



