5G 



JAY. 



Garrulus glandar'ms, PLUMING. SELBY. 



Corvus " PENNANT. MONTAGU. 



Garrulus Chattering, as birds. GlandariusOf or belonging to acorns. 



THE plate, if I may be pardoned a brief record of a pleasing- 

 reminiscence, is coloured from a specimen in my collection, 

 the first stuffed bird I ever possessed, which was brought to 

 me by my father from York, just after I had gone to school. 



The Jay is found in all the temperate parts of Europe, in 

 Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, 

 France, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Crete, and the Ionian 

 Islands, in Asia Minor, and in Africa, in Barbary and Egypt. 

 The Greeks eat it as food. 



In this country it is sufficiently common, and would doubtless 

 be much more so were it not so unrelentingly pursued as a 

 'vermin.' It occurs in more or less plenty throughout tne 

 southern half of Ireland, and also throughout Scotland, but 

 in very much fewer numbers towards the extreme north. In 

 Shetland it is only known as a rare straggler. 



This bird is exclusively addicted to woods and their imme- 

 diately neighbouring trees for its habitat. 



Jays, if not actually birds of passage, yet are decidedly of 

 a roving disposition. 'When they are obliged, during migra- 

 tion, to cross a wide open country, they fly quicker, for fear 

 of being attacked by birds of prey; and their fear may be 

 perceived by their frequently turning back to their starting 1 

 point, before they finally undertake the journey, and then it 

 is performed in haste, one flying behind another in a singular 

 manner. During their migration the Jays alight on the first 

 tree they meet with, and from thence utter their harsh note 

 of joy, on having thus far travelled in safety. They never 

 sit long on one branch, but shift and change continually; and 

 when on the ground they hop about very awkwardly.' 



