Jay. INSESSORES. GARRULUS. 363 



of uttering a pleasant though low sort of song in the spring 

 time, introducing at intervals the bleating of a lamb, mewing 

 of a cat, the note of a hawk, the hooting of an owl, and even 

 the neighing of a horse, and these imitations given with such 

 exactness as to deceive many who have heard them. The 

 Jay is frequently tamed, not only on account of the beauty 

 of its plumage, but for the facility with which it learns to ar- 

 ticulate words, and to imitate a variety of sounds. Bewick 

 mentions one that could perform the noise made by the ac- 

 tion of a saw, and another that had been taught to hound a 

 cur dog, on the approach of cattle. 



These birds are found in most of the temperate parts of 

 Europe, and in France are even abundant, but seldom con- 

 gregate largely.* 



Plate 32. Natural size. 



Bill black, conical, slightly notched at the tip. Commis- General 

 sure strait. Irides pearl-grey. Forehead and crown of ^io^n"^' 

 the head streaked with black, the feathers elongated and 

 narrow, and forming a crest, which it can erect or de- 

 press at pleasure. From the corners of the mouth are 

 black moustaches, pointing downwards. Chin white. 

 Hind part of the head, back, and scapulars light brown- 

 ish-purple-red. Rump, breast, and belly white. Lesser 

 wing-coverts brownish -orange. Greater coverts beauti- 

 fully barred with blue and black ; the feathers stiff and 

 compact. Greater quills dusky, the outer webs bluish- 

 grey. The six anterior secondaries black, having the 

 outer web white towards the base, the two next entirely 

 black, the rest brownish-red, tipped with black. Tail 

 black, square at the end, the middle feathers having one 

 or more pale grey bars at the base. Legs flesh-red, 



" Several beautiful species of the Jay have lately been brought from 

 the Himalayan range of mountains, agreeing with the European type in 

 form, and, in a great measure, in the disposition also of their colours. 

 Some of these are figured in Gould's " Century of Himalayan IJirds." 



