THE JAY. 133 



only bird that uses such a precaution, securing it from 

 all common depredation, though not from the hand of 

 the bird-nesting boy. When a hatch is effected, the 

 number of young demand a larger quantity of food 

 than is easily obtained, and whole broods of our duck- 

 lings, whenever they stray from the yard, are conveyed 

 to the nest. But still the " magot " is not an unuseful 

 bird, as it frees our pastures of incredible numbers of 

 grubs and slugs, which lodge themselves under the 

 crusts formed by the dung of cattle. These the birds 

 with their strong beaks turn over, and catch the lurking 

 animals beneath, and then break them to search for 

 more ; by which means, during the winter they will 

 spread the entire droppings in the fields ; and by spring 

 I have had, especially under the hedges, all this labor 

 saved to me by these assiduous animals. 



Natural affection, the love of offspring, is particularly 

 manifested in birds ; for in general they are timid and 

 weak creatures, flying from apprehended dangers, and 

 endowed with little or no power of defending them- 

 selves ; but they will menace when injury is threatened 

 to their brood, and incur dangers in order to obtain 

 food for their young, that they, will encounter in no 

 other period of their lives. 



The common jay (corvus glandarius) affords a good 

 example of this temporary departure from general char- 

 acter. This bird is always extremely timid and cautious, 

 when its own interest or safety is solely concerned ; but 

 no sooner does its hungry brood clamor for supply, than 

 it loses all this wary character, and becomes a bold and 

 impudent thief. At this period it will visit our gardens, 

 which it rarely approaches at other times, plunder them 

 of every raspberry, cherry, or bean, that it can obtain ; 

 and will not cease from rapine as long as any of the 

 brood or the crop remains. We see all the nestlings ap- 

 proach, and, settling near some meditated scene of 

 plunder, quietly await a summons to commence. A 

 parent bird from some tree surveys the ground, then 

 descends upon the cherry, or into the rows, immediately 

 announces a discovery by a low but particular call, and 

 all the family flock in to the banquet, which having 

 M 



