ALASKA JAY 23 



partly encircled. It was built on a whorl of very thin branches but 

 was supported largely by a pendant spruce limb, the branchlets of which 

 were woven into the outer rim of the nest and which served also as a 

 snov/ shelter for the brooding bird. The structure of this abode is just 

 what one would expect of a bird that chooses the severest time of the year 

 to breed. The nest is very bulky, of a silver-gray color, and like most 

 nests of jays is of two distinct parts, a loosely made platform, in this 

 case of tamarack twigs, and a very well-made, compact inner nest. It 

 has very closely built v.'alls varying in thickness from 1 inch, where it 

 rested against the tree trunk, to 3 inches on the opposite side. It is com- 

 posed largely of cotton from an old quilt and is lined with feathers of 

 the Alaska spruce grouse and willow ptarmigan, some thread, string 

 and fine strips of bark, with an inner lining of dog hair and feathers in 

 liberal quantities. All this is matted and felted together in such a 

 manner as to make the interior well insulated against the cold, and when 

 the incubating bird is snuggled down into the close-fitting rim, but little 

 warmth is radiated, even in the most rigorous weather. The dimensions 

 of the nest are as follows: Height, 7 inches; total outside diameter, 12; 

 outside diameter of primary nest, 8; inside diameter, 3.5; depth of cup, 

 3 ; thickness of wall, 1 to 3 inches." 



Eggs. — The Alaska jay apparently lays tliree or four eggs, probably 

 most commonly three. Dr. Grinnell's set consisted of three eggs, and Mr. 

 Brandt collected one set of three and one of four. The latter describes 

 his seven eggs as follows (MS) : "The tgg in outline is ovate to short- 

 ovate, and exhibits considerable luster. The tgg of this species is very 

 distinctive, and resembles that of the shrikes, but has the typical shape 

 and texture of the tgg of a jay. The ground color is conspicuous because 

 half of it is exposed, and the markings are of a neutral color. These 

 markings appear like freckles on the tgg and are most heavily concen- 

 trated about the larger end, sometimes taking the form of a wreath. The 

 spots are small, angular in shape and irregular in size. Those of the 

 underlying series are of a lavender hue, ranging from grayish lavender 

 to pale violet gray and to pale purplish gray; while the overlying spots 

 are reddish and richer, ranging from Saccardo's olive to burnt umber 

 and Rood's brown." 



The measurements of 20 eggs average 29.5 by 20.8 millimeters ; the 

 eggs showing the four extremes measure 31.2 by 21.0, 28.4 by 21.5. 

 and 30.8 by 20.1 millimeters. 



Behavior. — In a general way the behavior of Alaska jays does not 

 diflFer materially from that of the species elsewhere. But the following 

 incidents are v/orth mentioning. Mr. Dice (1920) states that "in several 

 instances these jays were seen to attack hav/ks and hawk owls." Joseph 

 S. Dixon (1938) relates the following: 



