WESTERN BIRDS J»y 



molest it in our yard nor have I heard of any complaint 

 in this neighborhood, yet they nest not far away. 



The nest is a bulky affair made of twigs and grasses 

 with an inner compact lining of fine roots and fibers, 

 placed in low bushes or trees, from three to twenty-five 

 feet from the ground. 



Besides the Ko-rink call, which is given quickly with 

 a bend of the knee, producing a bobbing motion, there 

 are several other squeaks. One is jay-jay-jay, and an- 

 other similar but with a more metallic ring. The bob- 

 bing up and down movement of the birds as they perch 

 is a common characteristic and will help to identify 

 them some distance away. 



GENUS PERISOREUS: OREGON JAY. 



Oregon Jay: Perisoreus obscurus obscurus. 

 FAMILY— MAGPIES AND JAYS. 



The Oregon Jay, also known as Deer-hunter, Camp- 

 robber, and such suggestive names, belongs to a group 

 of birds which are quite different from all others con- 

 sidered. They are flat-headed and the plumage is soft 

 and loose, grayish or sooty ; bills very short, not deep but 

 wide at base. The wings and tail are of about equal 

 length, the tail being graduated. 



They are essentially camp birds, coming from their 

 homes in the deep coniferous forests to the camps 

 established by man in their regions, and in the most 

 friendly, matter-of-fact way, appropriating any avail- 

 able thing to eat. The name of the genus (perisoreus) 

 given them is from the Greek word meaning, "I heap 

 up," and undoubtedly refers to the hoarding and thiev- 

 ing propensities of these Jays. 



The Oregon Jay is from eleven to thirteen inches long, 



109 



