CALIFORNIA JAY 97 



say, 100,000,000 eggs." These figures look appalling, but, in considering 

 them, we must not lose sight of three important facts: First, jays and 

 small birds have existed together for untold ages without any serious 

 reduction in the number of the latter ; second, the increase in small birds 

 is limited by the amount of suitable area that will support them, and 

 such area is probably kept filled to capacity ; and third, it is a well-known 

 fact that if a pair of birds is robbed of its eggs a second or third set will 

 be laid ; this is less likely to happen, however, if the young are taken. 

 But wild birds are not the only sufferers from the depredations of 

 this jay ; the eggs and young of domestic poultry are preyed upon. 

 Professor Beal (1910) writes: 



He is a persistent spy upon domestic fowls and well knows the meaning of the 

 cackle of a hen. A woman whose home is at the mouth of a small ravine told the 

 writer that one of her hens had a nest under a bush a short distance up the ravine 

 from the cottage. A jay had found this out, and every day when the hen went on 

 her nest the jay would perch on a near-by tree. As soon as the cackle of the hen 

 was heard, both woman and bird rushed to get the egg, but many times the jay 

 reached the nest first and secured the prize. * * * 



A still worse trait of the jay was described by a young man engaged in raising 

 poultry on a ranch far up a canyon near wooded hills. When his white leghorn 

 chicks were small, the jays would attack and kill them by a few blows of the 

 beak, and then peck open the skull and eat the brains. In spite of all endeavors 

 to protect the chicks and to shoot the jays, his losses were serious. 



Of the vegetable food, mast, mainly acorns, is the largest item, and 

 during the late fall and winter months made up one-half to three- 

 quarters of the entire food ; October showed the largest amount, 88.57 

 percent. Acorns and nuts are carried ofif and stored wherever they can 

 be hidden in cracks and crevices, but since many are dropped on the 

 way, or hidden on the ground, the jay may be considered useful as a 

 tree planter. 



Grain constitutes an important item ; in March, when grain was being 

 sown, it amounted to 45.50 percent; and again, during the harvesting 

 season in September, it made up 24.26 percent of the food. "Grain was 

 found in 95 stomachs, of which 56 contained oats ; 34, corn ; 2, wheat ; 

 2, barley; and 1. grain not further identified. Many of the oats were 

 of the wild variety. 



"Fruit was found in 270 stomachs. Of these, cherries were identified 

 in 37, prunes in 25, apples in 5, grapes in 2, pears in 2, peaches in 1, 

 gooseberries in 2. fi-gs in 1, blackberries or raspberries in 71, elder- 

 berries in 42, manzanita in 4, cascara in 1. mistletoe in 1, and fruit pulp 

 not further identified in 76." He remarks, further, that "it is safe to 

 say that half of the fruit eaten was of wild varieties and of no economic 

 value." His table shows that fruit formed 22.05 percent of the total 



