50 
bird, frequently depriving the anxious^ 
gunner of his mark, by alarming too soon 
his destined victim; for the moment it 
espies any person, it sits up a harsh chat- 
tering scream, by which its associates, 
and all others know that an enemy is near. 
The Jay may be easily taught to articu- 
late very distinctly, and is frequently 
caged for that purpose. In confinement, 
however, it soon loses the beauty of its 
plumage, and becomes of a dirty brown. 
"A Jay, kept by a person we were ac- 
quainted with, (says Bewick) at the ap- 
proach of cattle, had learned to hound a 
cur dog upon them, by whistling and 
calling upon him by his name; at last, 
during a severe frost, the dog was, by that 
means excited to attack a cow big with 
calf, when the poor animal fell on the ice 
and was much hurt. The Jay being com* 
plained of as a nuisance, its owner was 
obliged to destroy it." 
In the autumn this bird is said to lay up 
a store of acorns, &c. for a winter supply, 
but we much doubt the fact, as no animal 
but such as become partly torpid in cold 
weather require such a provision. 
