48 BULLETIN 191, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Taverner and Swales (1907), in their studies at Point Pelee, say: 

 "During the hawk flights of 1905 and 1906 they were much harassed by 

 the Sharp-shins but, as they are perfectly able to take care of them- 

 selves and kept pretty close in the grape vine tangles, it is not probable 

 that they suffered much. * * * In fac.t once within the shrubbery, they 

 seemed to rather enjoy the situation, and from their safe retreats hurled 

 joyous epithets at their baffled enemies. * * * We have only once found 

 the remains of a hawk-devoured bird of this species." 



Frank Bolles (1896) speaks thus "of an encounter between a sharp- 

 shinned hawk and a flock of blue jays" : 



The hawk arrived when several flickers were in the tree and hurled himself 

 upon them. They fled, calling wildly, and brought to their aid, first a kingbird, 

 which promptly attacked the hawk from above, and then a flock of blue jays, 

 which abused him from cover below. When the kingbird flew away, as he did 

 after driving the hawk into the bushes for a few moments, the jays grew more 

 and more daring in approaching the hawk. In fact they set themselves to the 

 task of tiring him out and making him ridiculous. They ran great risks in 

 doing it, frequently flying almost into the hawk's face; but they persevered, in 

 spite of his furious attempts to strike them. After nearly an hour the hawk 

 grew weary and edged off to the woods. Then the jays went up the tree as 

 though it were a circular staircase, and yelled the news of the victory to 

 the swamp. 



Henry C. Denslow sent the following note to Mr. Bent: "It is said 

 that shrikes sometimes attack blue jays, but in one case the tables were 

 turned. A shrike came to a feeding-table where eight blue jays were 

 feeding and met a warm reception. The shrike alighted on a branch 

 a little above the jays. They looked at him for an instant and then all 

 started for him. He flew into a hedge for protection, but was driven 

 out, then started for an evergreen tree, but the jays were so hot on his 

 trail that he took flight — all the jays trailing after, each one screeching 

 his loudest, until the sound of battle faded away in the distance." 



Feathers and other remains of blue jays are often found in and 

 about the nests of the duc.k hawk. 



Dr. Herbert Friedmann (1929) mentions two records of the blue 

 jay being imposed upon by the cowbird but suggests that "the eggs of 

 the Blue Jay are so much larger than those of the Cowbird that there is 

 little probability of the latter ever hatching if present." 



Harold S. Peters (1936) lists as external parasites on the blue jay 

 four lice (Degeeriella eustigma, Menacantluts persignatus, Myrsidea 

 fimerea, and Philopterus crisfata), one fly (Ornithoica conflnenta), one 

 mite (Liponyssus sylviarum), and one tick (Haemaphysalis leporis- 

 palustris). 



Fall. — The migration of blue jays in autumn is much more conspicuous 



