NATURE IN ACADIE. 33 



although I have no doubt that part of the birds to be 

 met with during the winter have migrated from more 

 northern breeding haunts, as is also the case in the 

 British Islands, where immigrants from the continent 

 swell the number of our native birds in the winter. 



The handsome and well-known blue jay seems to be 

 less common than formerly in the neighbourhood of 

 Halifax. Once or twice only have I heard the some- 

 what harsh squall of this bird in the woods around 

 Halifax, although I have heard of as many as six or 

 eight having been seen at one time within two or three 

 miles of the city. 



The blue jay is certainly one of the most beautiful 

 and entertaining of the commoner American birds, al- 

 though at the same time one of the most wary, possess- 

 ing in fact many of the characteristics of our European 

 species. The present bird is rather smaller than the 

 latter, and has the head handsomely crested with loose 

 silky feathers ; the upper parts of the body of a fine 

 blue colour, deepest on the wing and tail-feathers, which 

 are barred with black and tipped with white ; the neck 

 is encircled with a black collar, and the throat is 

 whitish, tinged with blue. 



According to some writers the blue jay is an expert 

 mimic, but for my own part I prefer to believe that the 

 mimicry exists more in the imagination of the said 

 writers than in actual reality. Indeed, I would almost 

 venture to say the same of all the other birds which 

 are so commonly said to mimic the songs and notes of 

 other birds and animals. I will not, however, express 

 an opinion upon the mocking-bird's talents, as I have 

 not yet heard the song of that bird in a state of nature. 

 But I can distinctly assert that not a single one of our 

 British birds is guilty in its natural state of consciously 

 imitating any part of the note or song of another 

 species. Perhaps the sedge-warbler, among our native 

 birds, has most frequently had these powers of mimicry 

 attributed to it, but, although as familiar with the song 

 of this bird as with the chirpings of the sparrow in our 

 streets, I can positively assert that I never yet heard it 

 3 



