CORVID^E. 24 1 



The Jay is easily tamed, and is a very amusing 

 bird in confinement, on account of the power it 

 possesses of imitating various sounds, the human 

 voice amongst others. In its wild state the Jay 

 exercises this power of imitation to a very great ex- 

 tent : Montagu even goes so far as to say it imitates 

 " the bleating of a lamb, the mewing of a cat, the 

 note of a Kite or Buzzard, the hooting of an Owl, 

 and even the neighing of a horse : these imitations 

 are so exact, even in a natural wild state, that we have 

 frequently been deceived."* It also imitates the 

 song of various small birds ; in fact, it is quite a 

 mocking bird. 



In plumage the Jay is a very beautiful and con- 

 spicuous bird. The beak is dark horn, almost black ; 

 irides pale blue ; forehead and top of the head dull 

 dirty white, inclining to reddish fawn-colour on the 

 top of the head ; in the centre of each feather is a 

 narrow streak of black, which gets broader at the 

 top ; the feathers of these parts are considerably 

 elongated, forming a crest, which can be elevated at 

 the pleasure of the bird ; back and scapulars reddish 

 fawn-colour, with a tinge of blue in it ; lesser wing- 

 coverts the same, but some of them are a shade 

 redder; the greater wing-coverts are a beautiful 

 bright blue, shaded in streaks from almost white to 

 blue-black; primary quills dusky, edged with dull 



* Montagu's Dictionary, by Newman. 



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