218 CORV1D.E. 



The food of the Jay consists in summer chiefly of worms, 

 cockchafers, and other insects, with their larvse and grubs ; 

 small frogs, mice, birds-eggs, and young birds, and fruit of all 

 descriptions. During the winter months they live on nuts, 

 acorns, beech-mast, peas, &c, which they collect during the 

 autumn and hide in holes in trees, and under fallen leaves in 

 some convenient spot. The Jay is said to be occasionally de- 

 structive to green corn, by plucking and swallowing the ten- 

 der ears. Their relish for acorns as winter food is so great, 

 that they search for them beneath the snow. The Jay is ac- 

 cused of devouring young birds, and even young partridges, 

 which causes it to be looked upon with suspicion by game- 

 keepers, &c. In captivity these birds will partake readily of 

 almost every thing that comes to table. 



The Jay builds chiefly in coppice-wood and fir plantations, 

 from twelve to thirty feet from the ground. One nest in our 

 collection, which was taken from a plantation of spruce-fir's on 

 the outskirts of Claremont, in Surrey, was at about the latter 

 elevation. It w T as placed, in a situation similar to those 

 chosen by the w r ood-pigeon, upon the flat and spreading 

 branch of a spruce-fir ; and composed of a few twigs as a 

 ground-work, upon which are placed a great number of slen- 

 der branches and roots, apparently of heath, becoming finer 

 towards the interior of the hollow ; and a few long horse- 

 hairs are laid round withinside. This specimen is rather a 

 well-constructed one for this species, having its branches and 

 roots pretty closely interwoven. Some specimens are far 

 more slightly built. One nest which we took from the branch 

 of a holly was little more compact after removal than those of 

 the pigeon family, the stiff nature of the leaves among which 

 it was placed having been its chief support. 



The eggs of this species, which sometimes amount to six 

 in number, appear at a little distance, of a pale greenish stone 

 colour, but, on closer inspection, are found to be minutely 



