CORVIDiE — THE CROWS. 287 



The nest of tliis Jay is formed of chy sticks, placed across each other, 

 and, although rounded in form, is so lightly made that the birds may be 

 seen through its interstices. It is lined with fibrous rootlets. Only one 

 brood is raised in a season. Audubon's descriptions of its eggs are inaccu- 

 rate, and only applicable to those of the Blue Jay. 



Mr. Audubon observed a pair of these birds in confinement in New 

 Orleans. They were fed upon rice and dry fruit. At dessert tliey wcve 

 allowed their liberty, when they would tly to the table, feed on tlie almonds 

 given them, and drink claret tliluted with water. They attempted to mimic 

 various sounds, but did so very imjierfectly. 



Mr. Nuttall states that at the approach of winter tliese birds retire to the 

 south of St. Augustine. He regards tlieir voice as less harsh than that of 

 the Blue Jay, and states that they have a variety of notes, some of wluch 

 are probably imitations, and are said to resemble the song of the Wood 

 Thrush and the calls of the common Jay. 



An egg of the Florida Jay before me is of a rounded oval shape, lieing 

 nearly equally obtuse at either end. The ground-color is a light bluisli-gray, 

 marked almost exclusively at the larger end with a few small s]>:its of a liglit 

 rufous-l:)ro\\'n. It has no near resemblance to tlie eggs of the California Jay, 

 nor to those of any other Jay that I have seen. It measures 1.05 inches 

 by .80. 



In its flight and action. Dr. Bryant thonght the Florida Jay resemliled 

 the Mocking-Bird. It has none of the restless, suspicious manner of tlie 

 Blue Jay. He never heard it utter more than a single note, this being 

 much softer than the usual cry of the Blue Jay ; its song he regarded as 

 rather monotonous. It seldom flies more tlian a short distance at a time, 

 and seems to trust for protection to the difticulty of access to its abode. It 

 also evinces a great partiality for particular localities. Generally only a 

 single pair is seen at a time, tliough in one place he has seen three pairs 

 together. It is not fond of civilization, and is seldom known to freij^uent 

 the vicinity of dwellings. 



A nest found by Dr. Bryant on the 15th of April was built in a scrub- 

 oak about three feet from the ground. It was made of small twigs, com- 

 pactly and carefully lined with fibres of tlie dwarf palmetto, that had ap- 

 parently been brought a distance of half a mile. The cavity measured about 

 five inches in breadth and one and a half in depth. The nest contained 

 three eggs of a light blue, sparingly sprinkled with rufous, the spots being 

 larger and more numerous towards the larger end. Another nest, found a 

 few days later, contained five eggs of a more neutral tint, with the spots 

 darker, larger, and more evenly distributed. 



