276 LAND-BIRDS. 



a. 11-12 inches long, and crested. Above, purplish blue ; 

 beneath, white, becoming distinctly gray on the breast, and 

 bluish on the throat. Wings and tail, bright blue, more or 

 less black-barred, and white-tipped (except the primaries). 

 Collar and frontlet, black. 



5. The nest is generally placed in a low pine, or other 

 evergreen, often near the trunk, from five to twenty feet above 

 the ground. The chief materials are usually sticks or twigs, 

 and fine roots which form the lining. Four or five eggs,* aver- 

 aging 1.20 X -80 of an inch, are laid, near Boston, about the 

 twentieth of May. They are brown or green (resembling the 

 lighter shades used in frescoing), more or less spotted with 

 subdued brown and often obscure lilac. 



c. If the old proverb be true, that "handsome is that 

 handsome does," the Blue Jay is not to be admired, in spite of 

 his strikingly beautiful plumage. On the contrary, he is to be 

 despised as a murderer, a thief, a rioter, and a disturber of the 

 general peace. In the slaughter of babes (if I may extend 

 the use of this word) he " out-herods Herod." He sneaks into 

 the nests of smaller birds, sucking their eggs, or killing their 

 young (of which he often eats the brains, but leaves the rest), 

 and spreading sorrow wherever he goes. In the stealing of 

 grain, he rivals the Crow. He even sneaks into the store- 

 house, and like a rat, devours the corn there. As a leader of 

 riots, though a coward, he does not hesitate occasionally to 

 tease the Hawks (for which, says Wilson, he sometimes pays 

 dearly), or to take advantage of the Owls, when confused by 

 the daylight, to heap insults upon them. As a disturber of 

 the general peace, he delights to spread terror among other 

 birds by imitating the cries of Hawks, or to deceive them by 

 pretending distress ; no less often do his cries disturb man, and 

 drown the sweet melodies which one might otherwise hear in 

 all our woods and groves. On account of his bad habits, his 

 noisiness, his fine colors and crest, he is frequently shot ; and 

 the number of Jays near Boston has lately, I think, materially 

 diminished, whereas the cunning Crows much less often fall 

 victims to the revenge of their numerous enemies. 



* Sets of six eggs are occasionally found. — W. B. 



