42 THE NUT-CRACKER. 



llie owl, the g^reat enemy of the jays, may easily be imitated ; and as sooa 

 as they hear it they come from all sides, while their cries must be re- 

 peated by the people in the hut, which makes them assemble in still greater 

 numbers. They are soon entangled in the bird-lime, and fall pell mell 

 into the hut, their weight easily dragging them through the slight covering. 

 Many other birds also collect on hearing the deceitful call, and, wishing to 

 assist their brethren, are themselves entrapped. Thus, in a few hours 

 many jays and a great number of other birds may be caught, such as mag- 

 pies, thrushes, wood-peckers, redbreasts, and tits. Twilight is the best 

 time for this sport. 



In the month of July jays may also be taken in the water-trap, where 

 young ones, with their tails only half grown, are most frequently caught ; 

 these may yet be taught and tamed. 



Attractive Qualities. — Although it is easy to teach the jay to speak, 

 it will in general only repeat single words ; but it imitates passably well 

 little airs on the trumpet and other short tunes. Its beautiful colours are 

 a great attraction. It may also be taught to go and come, if in the 

 country : but in the city it is not so easily taught this as crows and ravens. 



THE NUT-CRACKER. 



Corvus Caryocatactes, Linnaeus; Le Casse-noix, Buffon; Der Tannenheher, 

 Bechstein, 



Its length is twelve inches, of which the tail measures four 

 and three quarters ; the wings, when folded, reach the middle. 

 The beak and feet are black ; the iris is reddish brown. 

 Though speckled like the starling, its general colour is blackish 

 brow^l, lighter above, and darker underneath the body. The 

 tail feathers are black, but white at the tip. 



The general colour of the female is a redder brown than that 

 of the male. 



Habitation. — In its wild state it inhabits, during summer, the depth of 

 woods, near which there are meadows and springs, and it does not qiiit this 

 retreat till autumn, when it frequents those places where it can find acorns, 

 beech-mast, and nuts. During hard winters it may sometimes be seen on 

 the high road, seeking its food amongst the horse-dung. 



In the house it is kept like a jay. 



Food In its wild state, having a very strong beak, it can open the 



cones of the pine and fir, peel the acorns and beech-mast, and break the 

 nut-shells. It also eats different sorts of berries, but prefers animal food 

 and insects, in short, any tiling it can get. 



In confinement it must be fed like the jay ; but it is more easily tamed, 

 and accustomed to use different words. It is so fond of animal food, that 

 if a live jay were thrown into its cage it would kill it and eat it in a 

 quarter of an hour ; it will even eat whole squirrels which have been shot, 

 and which other small birds of prey fly from with disgust. 



