BLUE JAY. 
257 
accident in the woods first put me in possession of this 
bird, while in full plumage, and in high health and 
spirits ; I carried him home Avith me, and put him into 
a cage already occupied by a golden-Avinged woodpecker 
(^picus auratus,) where he Aras saluted Avith such rude- 
ness, and rcceiA'ed such a drubbing from the lord of the 
manor, for cuitering his premises, that, to save his life, 
I was obliged to take him OAit again. I then put him 
into another cage, Avhere the oidy tenant Avas a female 
orioltts spurius (bastard baltimore.) She also put on 
airs of alarm, as if she considered herself endangered 
and insulted by the intrusion ; the jay, meanwhile, sat 
mute and motionless on the bottom of the cage, either 
dubious of his OAvn situation, or Avilling to alloAv time 
for the fears of his neighbour to subside. Accordingly, 
in a few minutes, after displaying various threatening 
gestures (like some of those Indians Ave read of in their 
first iutervieAA’S AA'ith the Avhites,) she began to make 
her approaches, but AA’ith great circumspection, and 
readiness for retreat. Seeing, hoAvcvcr, the jay begin 
to pick up some (trumbs of broken chestnuts, in a 
humble and peaceable Avay, she also descended, and 
began to do the same ; hut, at the slightest motion of 
her neAv guest, wheeled round, and ])ut herself on 
the defensive. All this ceremonious jealousy vanished 
before evening ; and they now roost together, feed, and 
play together, in perhjct harmony and good humour. 
When the jay goes to drink, his messmate very impu- 
dently jumj)s into the saucer to wash herself^ thrOAving 
the Avater in shoAvers over her companion, Avho hears 
it all patiently ; venturing noAV and then to take a sip 
between every splash, Avithout betraying the smallest 
token of irritation. On the contrary, he seems to take 
pleasure in his little felloAA'-prisoner, aUoAving her to 
pick (Avhich she does very gently) about his Avhiskers, 
and to clean his cIuaa's from the minute fragments of 
chestnuts Avhich happen to adhei'e to them. This 
attachment on the one part, and mild condescension 
on the other, may, perhaps, he partly the effect of 
Bautual misfortunes, Avhich are found not only to knit 
VOL. I. R 9 
