6 
BLUE JAY. 
been found regaling himself on the bowels of a robin in less 
than five minutes after it was shot. 
There are, however, individual exceptions to this general 
character for plunder and outrage, a proneness for which is 
probably often occasioned by the wants and irritations of 
necessity. A blue jay, which I have kept for some time, and 
with whom I am on terms of familiarity, is in reality a very 
notable example of mildness of disposition and sociability of 
manners. An 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 with me, and put him into a cage 
already occupied by a golden-winged woodpecker, where he 
was saluted with such rudeness, and received such a drubbing 
from the lord of the manor, for entering his premises, that, to 
save his life, I was obliged to take him out again. I then 
put him into another cage, where the only tenant w T as a 
female orchard oriole. 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 own situation, or 
willing to allow time for the fears of his neighbour to sub- 
side. Accordingly, in a few minutes, after displaying various 
threatening gestures, (like some of those Indians we read of 
in their first interviews with the whites,) she began to make 
her approaches, but with great circumspection, and readiness 
for retreat. Seeing, however, the jay begin to pick up some 
crumbs of broken chestnuts, 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 
herself on the defensive. All this ceremonious jealousy 
vanished before evening ; and they now roost together, feed, 
and play together, 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, 
