THE CHOUGHS. 
21 
no ^ itS — J a y ' s an extremely shy and wary bird, having 
co ,° U ^ t ^ earn t caution from the state of danger in which it 
in 'th tant; 'y finds itself, not only on account of its depredations 
b; i> G ° vert > but because of the brilliant blue feathers in the 
j g r s wing, which are much in request with fly-fishers. It 
i ?? or ® often seen than heard, and its harsh note is the only 
bi j Ca d°n of the bird’s presence. Its name of glandarius, the 
of the acorn, has been amply justified during the past 
in H mer when we have noticed in many of the woods 
t , e nudland and eastern counties a considerable number of 
So ys gathered together to feed on the acorns which have been 
^unusually abundant. Although in the spring the Jay 
biriM rS a lar * e nunl ber of grubs, it is decidedly a mischievous 
a 1 ater on in the fruit season, and will commit great havoc 
by < th® ^ as * n a g ar d en j if the latter be near a wood inhabited 
of > C °’ rc * s ' ft is detested by the gamekeeper as a devourer 
is a e ®’ S a P < f young birds, and at certain seasons of the year it 
cro S ° l j nn .' vorous as any of its Corvine relations. When on the 
the'n™ ' < f° es no t walk like the other Co* video, but hops like 
Nest.- 
Placed 
siderabL 
Majority of Passerine birds. 
—A cup-shaped structure adapted to its surroundings, 
on a branch of a bush or tree, sometimes at a con- 
ro . e height from the ground. Composed of twigs and 
s i and lined with finer rootlets. 
ffottm — ^ b rce to six ; axis, i'2-i '4 ; diam., 0 9 ; colour varying 
( j ev S re y or clay-colour to olive brown, in the latter case almost 
cloud H°^- mar k' n § s j but the ordinary type of egg is thickly 
a rin e ° WltE uainute spots of pale brown, sometimes forming 
n S at one end or the other. (Plate XXX., Fig. 5.) 
THE choughs. SUB-FAMILY FREGILIIUU. 
belong h ° u S hs constitute a small section of the Crows. They 
USivdy t0 World, and differ from the true 
low dow Ul ^' e P os ’tion of the nostrils, which are situated 
ble th an n 10 * Ee bill, nearer to the lower edge of the mandi- 
and No th° t ^ le u PP er - Two genera are found in Europe 
Australia 1Sni ^sia. and a third form (Conor ax) inhabits 
