44 THEPIEKIND. 



The fowlers fay, that if fhe obferves a man enter a hut at the foot of 

 the tree where her neft is, fhe will not vifit her neft till he is gone. If 

 two enter the hut, fhe watches both out; the fame for three, or four; if 

 fix enter, and five come out, Ihe is contented, and forgets the fixth. 



To this tribe we may refer the Jay, which is one of the moft beau- 

 tiful of the Britifh birds. The forehead is white, ftreaked with black; 

 the head is covered with very long feathers, which it can ereft into a 

 crell at pleafure; the whole neck, back, breaft, and belly, are of a faint 

 purple, dafhed with grey ; the wings are moft beautifully barred with a 

 lovely blue, black, and white ; the tail is black, and the feet of a pale 

 brown. Feeds upon fruits, will kill fmall birds, and is extremely docile, 

 Very petulant, lively, and quarrelfome, even to forgetting felf-fecurity; 

 for they will fight over branches, and fometimes are ftrangled by being 

 caught by the throat between two. In cages they beat themfelves to 

 pieces. Neftle in woods far from habitations, preferring old oaks grown 

 over with ivy. Often, in attempting to ftcal birds caught in fnares, are 

 themfelves caught. There is a white jay which yet retains the blue on 

 his wings. The Rind is fpread in diftant parts. 



The Chatterer, native of Germany, may be placed in this rank; is 

 a wandering bird ; fometimes in fuch numbers as to darken the fun ; is 

 fomewhat lefs than the former : is tufted, and variegated with a beau- 

 tiful mixture of colours ; red, afh-colour, chefnut, and yellow : but 

 ■what difiinguifhes it are horny appendages at the tips of feven, fome- 

 times eight (or more) of the Icfler quill-feathera, which ftand bare 

 of beards, and have the colour and glofs of the beft red fealing wax. 

 Feeds on berries and grapes ; is very cleanly. 



The Roller is nolc lefs beautiful. The breaft and belly blue ; the 

 head green j the wings variegated with blue, black, and v>^hite. Is dif- 

 linguilhed by a fort of naked tubercles or warts near the eyes. Is a bird 

 of pafTage, fomewhat rare ; inhabits Germany ; dwells in thick woodsj 

 is quite wild ; feeds on grain, &c. are good eating in autumn. The Ara- 

 bian Sha^a-rag. 



The Nutcracker is a German bird, living on the mountains, and 

 "whofe manners are little known; there are two races. They do much 

 mifchicf among the trees, and lodge in them like the woodpecker, 

 Every fifteen or tv/cnty years come in flocks, or rather armies (like th« 

 Lcmingof Lapland j, and devour much of the harveft. 



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