BLUE JAY 151 



the nest, or disturb the young, seemingly satisfied to re- 

 main quietly perched near by, as an onlooker. 



The Blue Jay — the usually unsuspected demon of the 

 bird world — is so demure and gentle in its meanderings 

 of investigation that it will mislead you until you ac- 

 tually catch it in the act of stealing the eggs or devouring 

 the young of other birds. Most birds are allies when it 

 comes to making war on the Blue Jay, their common ene- 

 my. A Brown Thrasher whose nest was in my backyard, 

 had daily fights with a Blue Jay, until a certain friend of 

 the former put an end to the Jay's invasion of the 

 Thrasher's domain. 



Jays are great conversationists and seem to delight 

 in their assembly meetings, or in gossip of a most earnest 

 and confiding fashion, first one and then another, in turn, 

 expressing views on the subject under discussion. This 

 is true, especially, in family gatherings, after the young 

 have left the nest. Jays have no tender spot in my bird 

 affections. To me, the Blue Jay has a disagreeable per- 

 sonality, in that I look upon it as a villain, first, last and 

 all the time. It belongs to no league of bird nations, rec- 

 ognizes no laws of bird-home boundaries, and invades 

 the privacy of other bird homes, destroying the eggs and 

 devouring the young. It is a sneak in its personality, yet 

 proclaims its virtues in the loudest tones when it sees 

 an Owl or Hawk, even joining the bird throng attacking 

 the birds of prey. 



