les is in my hair. He delights in standing on the high back of
my rocking-chair, or on my shoulder, and he soon discovered several
desirable hiding-places conveniently near, such as my ear, and under the
loosely dressed hair. I did not object to his using these, but when he
attempted to tuck away some choice thing between my lips I rebelled. I
never expect to find a keyhole that he can reach, free from bread
crumbs, and the openings of my waste-basket are usually decorated with
objects half driven in.

The jay shows unbounded interest in everything. Every sound and every
fresh sight arouses him instantly; his crest comes up, his feathers
fluff out, and he is on tiptoe to see what will come next. He is
remarkably discriminating among people, and takes violent likes and
dislikes on the instant. Some persons, without any reason that I can
discover, he salutes on their first appearance with an indescribable
cry, like "obble! obble! obble!" At others he squawks madly. On one
occasion he took an intense dislike to a lady, of whom birds generally
are very fond, and he made a peculiar display of rage, squawking and
screaming at her, raising his crest, stamping, snapping his beak, giving
vicious digs at the side of the cage, as though he would eat her if he
could reach her. And although he often saw her, and she tried her best
to win him, he always showed the same spirit, going so far, when out of
his cage, as to show fight, fly up at her, peck her savagely, and chase
her to the door when she left. Again, a lady came in with her baby, and
he at once singled out the infant as his enemy, fixing a very wicked
glance on it, but in perfect silence. He jumped back and forth as if mad
to get out, and sat with open mouth, panting as if exhausted, with eyes
immovably turned to the baby. He would not pay the slightest attention
to any one else, nor answer me when I spoke, which was very unusual,
till they left the room, when the moment the door closed behind them he
began rapidly, as if to make up for lost time. Some visitors whom he
fancies, he receives in silence, but with slightly quivering wings; only
the very few he loves best are greeted with a low, sweet, and very
peculiar chatter, which he keeps up as long as he is talked to.

Investigating everything in the room is one of my bird's greatest
pleasures, and most attractive of all he finds the drawer of my desk, on
the edge of which he stands, delighted and bewildered by the variety