86 BULLETIN 191, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



have been more frequently indulged in during past years than now, 

 though I know of no reason why it should have now ceased. This con- 

 cerns the picking of ticks from cattle, a habit shared by some of the 

 Florida herons. I have never observed it, nor can I find anything in 

 the literature about it, but N. B. Moore (MS.) in writing of this jay 

 says : "A common habit of this species during the time when cattle have 

 many ticks upon them, and this happens through the greater part of the 

 year, is to perch upon their backs, move or hop upon their rumps and hip 

 bones, and pick them off and eat them, or, if they have young, carry 

 them to the nest or to a tree or fencepost, where the young are perhaps 

 waiting for food. It reminds one of the habits of the Buphaga of Africa 

 to see this jay riding about on the backs of cattle and feasting on these 

 disgusting parasites. The jay often obtains the ticks by hopping on the 

 ground about the legs of the cows jumping by the help of its wings up to 

 the buttocks, flanks, or brisket and seizing the most palatable ones. 

 The cattle seem not in the least annoyed by those on their backs, and yet 

 the pretty constant switching of their tail and throwing back their horns 

 keep the jays constantly on the alert, and they often quit their place to 

 avoid a blow, perching either on another cow or on a tree or a fence." 



With the even greater prevalence of cattle in Florida today than when 

 Moore wrote (about 1870), it seems strange that this habit has not 

 been commented on more by recent observers. To many persons' sur- 

 prise Florida is one of the greatest cattle-raising States in the Union, 

 but in recent years there has been a definite effort, attended by marked 

 success, to eliminate ticks, and this may have resulted in such a sharp 

 decrease in the parasites that the jays have largely abandoned this 

 source of food and the method of obtaining it. 



On monthly investigations on the Kissimmee Prairie, I see literally 

 thousands of cattle, but as mentioned previously the jay does not occur 

 on the open prairie and therefore could not be expected in the largest 

 cattle concentrations. It is known that the Florida crow (Conms 

 brachyrhynchos pascuus) procures ticks and other insects from the backs 

 of cattle, and occasionally some of the smaller herons do the same thing, 

 which reminds one of the African cow heron. 



Somev.hat contrary to the accepted opinion that jays are domineering 

 and quarrelsome, there is evidence that coerulescens is an exception to 

 the rule. Though at times seen to drive off such species as blackbirds 

 and mockingbirds, it appears to live in considerable harmony with its 

 avian neighbors, with little bickering and interference. Wilbur F. Smith 

 (MS.) in noting this trait says: "The Florida jay has far better manners 

 than other members of the family. I have photographed it with quail 

 (Colinus virginianus floridamts), ground doves (Columbigallina pas- 



