BLUE JAY. 
193 
read of, in their first interviews with the whites,) she began to 
make her approaches, but with great circumspection, and readi- 
ness for retreat. Seeing, however, the Jay begin to pick up 
some crumbs of broken chesnuts, in a humble and peaceable 
way, she also descended, and began to do the same; but at the 
slightest motion of her new guest, wheeled round and put her- 
self on the defensive. All this ceremonious jealousy vanished 
before evening, and they now roost together, feed, and play to- 
gether, in perfect harmony and good humour. When the Jay 
goes to drink, his messmate very impudently jumps into the 
water to wash herself, throwing the water in showers over her 
companion, who bears it all patiently; venturing now and then 
to take a sip between every splash, without betraying the small- 
est token of irritation. On the contrary, he seems to take plea- 
sure in his little fellow-prisoner, allowing her to pick (which 
she does very gently) about his whiskers, and to clean his claws 
from the minute fragments of chesnuts which happen to adhere 
to them. This attachment on the one part, and mild condescen- 
sion on the other, may, perhaps, be partly the effect of mutual 
misfortunes, which are found not only to knit mankind, but 
many species of inferior animals, more closely together; and 
shows that the disposition of the Blue Jay may be humanized, 
and rendered susceptible of affectionate impressions, even for 
those birds, which, in a state of nature, he would have no hesi- 
tation in making a meal of. 
He is not only bold and vociferous, but possesses a considera- 
ble talent for mimicry, and seems to enjoy great satisfaction in 
mocking and teasing other birds, particularly the little hawk, 
{F. sparverius,) imitating his cry wherever he sees him, and 
squealing out as if caught; this soon brings a number of his own 
tribe around him, who all join in the frolic, darting about the 
hawk, and feigning the cries of a bird sorely wounded, and al- 
ready under the clutches of its devourer; while others lie con- 
cealed in bushes, ready to second their associates in the attack. 
But this ludicrous farce often terminates tragically. The hawk 
singling out one of the most insolent and provoking, sweeps 
VOL. I. — 3 D 
