THE JAY 
to show, perhaps, that the gamekeeper has been 
taking care of the game. 
One would like to be able to say that the Jays 
never, never touch game, but it must be owned that 
they do help themselves, sometimes, to the eggs of 
the Pheasant and the Partridge, and even devour the 
young birds. These stolen dainties, however, form 
but a small part of the Jay’s fare. He lives mostly 
on acorns, for which he may be seen searching in 
winter under the snow. He also eats beech-mast, 
nuts and berries, corn, worms, cockchafers and other 
insects, larvae, frogs and mice. Altogether he does 
far more good than harm. 
It is said that if the Jays are destroyed so 
mercilessly there will soon be not one left. This 
would be a great pity, for there is no more handsome 
bird. Both male and female are alike in their 
colouring, having pinkish-grey plumage, the crest 
greyish-white streaked with black, a heavy black 
mark under the eyes, and the wings and tail barred 
with black, white, and blue. The young, when 
fledged, are of the same colour as their parents 
though somewhat less bright. 
The nest of the Jay is rarely seen near the tops 
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