THE JAY. 
133 
only bird that uses such a precaution, securing it from 
all common depredation, though not from the hand of 
the bird-nesting boy. When a hatch is effected, the 
number of young demand a larger quantity of food 
than is easily obtained, and whole broods of our duck- 
lings, whenever they stray from the yard, are conveyed 
to the nest. But still the “ magot” is not an unuseful 
bird, as it frees our pastures of incredible numbers of 
grubs and slugs, which lodge themselves under the 
crusts formed by the dung of cattle. These the birds 
with their strong beaks turn over, and catch the lurking 
animals beneath, and then break them to search for 
more ; by which means, during the winter they will 
spread the entire droppings in the fields ; and by spring 
I have had, especially under the hedges, all this labor 
saved to me by these assiduous animals. 
Natural affection, the love of offspring, is particularly 
manifested in birds ; for in general they are timid and 
weak creatures, flying from apprehended dangers, and 
endowed with little or no power of defending them- 
selves ; but they will menace when injury is threatened 
to their brood, and incur dangers in order to obtain 
food for their young, that they will encounter in no 
other period of their lives. 
The common jay (corvus glandarius) affords a good 
example of this temporary departure from general char- 
acter. This bird is always extremely timid and cautious, 
when its own interest or safety is solely concerned ; but 
no sooner does its hungry brood clamor for supply, than 
it loses all this wary character, and becomes a bold and 
impudent thief. At this period it will visit our gardens, 
which it rarely approaches at other times, plunder them 
of every raspberry, cherry, or bean, that it can obtain ; 
and will not cease from rapine as long as any of the 
brood or the crop remains. We see all the nestlings ap- 
proach, and, settling near some meditated scene of 
plunder, quietly await a summons to commence. A 
parent bird from some tree surveys the ground, then 
descends upon the cherry, or into the rows, immediately 
announces a discovery by a low but particular call, and 
all the family flock in to the banquet, which having 
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