4 BULLETIN 191, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



zero; it was 6 feet from the ground in a willow and was made largely 

 of Usnea barbata, reinforced at the base and on the sides with twigs ; 

 it was profusely lined with feathers, mostly those of the sharp-tailed 

 grouse, with a few of the pinnated and ruffed grouse. Macoun (1909) 

 mentions three other Alberta nests, all of which were in willows; per- 

 haps it is customary for the jays of this region, where there is com- 

 paratively little coniferous forest, to nest in willows. But I have also 

 four records of Alberta nests in spruces. Elsewhere, nearly all the 

 nests reported have been in spruces, wnth an occasional nest in a larch, 

 firm, or hemlock. 



Nests have been reported at various heights above the ground, from 

 4 feet to 30 feet, but the majority of the nests are placed 6 to 8 feet 

 above ground, and very few have been found above 12 feet up. All the 

 nests that I have seen have been well made, the materials being com- 

 pactly felted; they are neatly finished around the rim and more or less 

 decorated on the exterior with plant down and with cocoons and nests 

 of spiders, wasps, and other insects ; the walls are thick, and the inner 

 cavity is warmly lined with feathers, fur, and plant down, furnishing 

 a warm and cozy cradle for the young, to protect them from the low 

 temperatures of late winter in northern latitudes. I have seen one nest, 

 taken in Nova Scotia late in April, that was profusely lined with pine 

 needles ; perhaps the warmer lining was not needed at that season. The 

 outer diameter of the nest varies from 6 to 10 inches, but most nests 

 measure 7 or 8 inches ; the outer height varies from 3 to 5 inches ; the 

 inner cavity measures 3 to 3^ inches in diameter and is 2 to 2^ 

 inches deep. 



There are four sets of eggs of this jay in my collection, now in the 

 United States National Museum, two from Labrador and two from 

 Newfoundland. The latter two were collected by J. R. Whitaker, about 

 one of which he wrote to me as follows: 



The nest was firmly built on some small twigs of a spruce and placed close 

 to the trunk of the tree at about 18 feet from the snow level. There was no 

 noticeable litter on the snow under the nest. The nest was partly constructed on 

 February 26, 1920, it held one egg on April 10, and was collected, with its com- 

 plement of three eggs, on April 15. The nest is a very compact structure com- 

 posed largely of larch twigs, for which the bird would have to go some distance, 

 as the clump of trees in which the nest was placed is composed of nothing but 

 fir and spruce. Mixed with the larch twigs is a good deal of Spanish moss and 

 a large number of spider nests; there are also quite a few feathers in the struc- 

 ture; the lining is composed of moss, rabbit fur, caribou hair, etc., and next to 

 the eggs quite a few jay feathers. 



Robie W. Tufts has sent me the following notes on a nest of this jay 

 that he discovered on April 4, 1919, in Annapolis County, Nova Scotia: 



