34 BULLETIN 191, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



morning the same maneuvers took place until the morning of June 11 when the 

 wind changed to the northeast and the weather became much warmer. On this 

 date the birds were again circling though flying so high that at times they were 

 almost out of sight. I did not see a single flock actually start and fly off across 

 the lake, but on the morning of the 12th there was hardly a bird to be found 

 in the Jack pines. 



Courtship. — A survey of the literature brings little to light in regard 

 to the courtship of the blue jay. We may infer therefore that courtship 

 is not a conspicuous feature of the bird's behavior. Mr. Bent describes 

 in his notes some actions having the appearance of mild courtship. He 

 says under date of April 30, 1940: 



This morning about 7:30 I saw a flock of 7 or 8 blue jays having a merry time 

 in the top of a large oak in my yard. They were apparently courting. I could 

 not distinguish the sexes, of course. Perhaps there was only one female, and 

 the males were all following her, just as male dogs follow a female in heat. 

 Several of them, presumably males, were bobbing up and down as they do when 

 they make that musical note often heard at other times, but I heard no notes. 

 They were constantly changing places in the tree and chasing each other about. 

 At least one was evidently trying to escape, or perhaps starting a game of 'follow 

 the leader.' Finally, one did fly away and all the others trooped after it. Perhaps 

 they were only playing a game; if so, it was a lively one. 



I saw (Tyler, 1920) a similar gathering of jays at about the same 

 time of year (April 6, 1913) acting in much the same way. "Ten of the 

 birds were sitting in a bare tree. A few were mounting toward the top 

 of the tree by stiff upward leaps; the others, well scattered high in the 

 tree, sat quiet ; most of the company were screaming. Every few seconds 

 came the growling note, a sound which suggested a 'snoring' frog, the 

 quick tapping of a Woodpecker, or the exhaust from a distant motorcycle 

 — g-r-r-r. During the growl, and immediately after it, one or two birds, 

 and perhaps more, moved up and down as if the branch on which they 

 sat were sv/aying. There was none of the teetering motion of a Spotted 

 Sandpiper; the whole bird rose and sank as a man would move up and 

 down on his tiptoes. Soon the birds flew of? [as did Mr. Bent's] in a 

 screaming company and were joined by other Jays." 



Hervey Brackbill sent the following account of "Courtship Feeding" 

 to Mr. Bent: "About sunset, 7.06 p. m.. May 9, 1939, I noticed three 

 jays in the top of a tall oak but paid no attention to them until I saw one 

 feed another. Then I began to watch and shortly saw another feeding. 

 For a long time at least one of the birds frequently uttered the little 

 note that sounds like quick, and for a while one sang much like a catbird. 

 This went on for some minutes, but as the birds kept moving about in 

 the treetops and were often hidden in thick foliage, I could not tell how 

 many feedings there were or whether there was copulation." 



