154 OBSERVATIONS ON BIRDS. 



JAY.* 



Nov. 20, 1826. JAYS are not regular denizens 

 of this neighbourhood, but only visit it occasionally 

 at uncertain periods. A party of these birds, how- 

 ever, have frequented our plantations for several 

 weeks back ; and one was brought me to-day, the 

 first that could be obtained, owing to their extreme 

 shyness. On examining the stomach of this bird, 

 we found it stuffed to the full with the remains 

 of both animal and vegetable substances. These 

 were in a state of intimate union, and had the ap- 

 pearance of a stiff mud ; amongst which, however, 

 was discernible the tail of a mouse, (there being no 

 trace of any other part of the animal,) and a great 

 quantity of the seeds of some berry, staining paper of 

 a purplish-blue : there were also many gravels, some 

 of considerable dimensions. There were no traces of 

 either acorns or beech-mast, which we had supposed 

 to have been what had attracted these birds to 

 this neighbourhood. 



GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER.f 



THE great spotted woodpecker is of not very 

 unfrequent occurrence in this neighbourhood; but 

 it is remarkable that all the specimens that have 

 come to my knowledge have been killed either in 

 spring or autumn, and mostly in March. This 



* Garrulus glandarius, Flem. f Picus major, Linn. 



