224 SPRING. 



depths of the forests are the situations in which they 

 are usually found ; and they are particularly fond of 

 the shelter of ivy and other evergreens. The nesting 

 time is not so early as that of many birds, as they do 

 not begin to build till the middle of April. The young 

 shed the nest feathers about July, after which their 

 plumage nearly resembles that of the old ones. During 

 autumn the family continue together, but in the spring 

 they are found only in pairs. They are not so numerous 

 in winter, or, at least, they are not so often seen. It 

 has been said that they retire into the cavities of hollow 

 trees, and this may sometimes be the case, and pro- 

 bably they partially migrate. In the eastern countries 

 they do have a migration southward in the autumn, 

 and northward in the spring ; and, though they be 

 not calculated for a very long flight, they may go to 

 the woods in the warmer parts of this country. 



In those woody districts where jays are numerous, 

 they act as a sort of watchmen or alarmists for the 

 other feathered tribes. Restless themselves and easily 

 excited, they set up a loud chattering whenever any- 

 thing dangerous appears. By this means, the fox, 

 when stealing forward at his most wary pace, the 

 wild cat when ready to spring, and the sportsman 

 when he has brought his gun to his shoulder, are all 

 often baulked of their prey by the warning note of the 

 jay, which chatters from its unseen covert, and all the 

 other birds are, in an instant, as invisible as itself. 

 Its harsh and unpleasant chatter is thus probably of 

 more service to the other birds than if it were the most 

 melodious note in the wood. The jay is remarkable 

 for the wideness of its gullet, and the consequent size 



