THE JAY. 221 



rows of a rabbit-warren, the jackdaw : and as these 

 are playful and clamorous birds, they give an appear- 

 ance of life to places which are naturally gloomy. 

 THE JAY. 



The Jay (corvus glandarius), is a handsome bird, 

 though its form is not quite so graceful as that of the 

 magpie ; but it generally gets the preference, probably 

 because it is not so commonly met with. And yet the 

 jay is far from being a rare bird ; although their ha- 

 bitation is in thick woods, from which they seldom 

 come out, even in the winter, when most of their con- 

 geners approach the habitations of man. It has some- 

 times been said, that the jay is a provident bird, and 

 lays up a store for the winter ; but that part of its 

 economy is not well authenticated. Indeed, less is 

 known about the jay in a state of nature, than about 

 several other birds that are not so abundant ; and 

 though we have very often heard it in the woods, 

 uttering its own disagreeable call, note, or cry, and 

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