ill) 



1)11 strt'lcluMl aiul (luivi'riii.^- wiiii:-, tliiii n]» ;i.u:iin Mini poisiiii;-. until he 

 WMs nearly nut of sight. Tlu" rliiuax was a straight, swift dive, with 

 wings closed. Toward the earth. lie did not open his wings until he 

 was within a few feet of the ground, when he settled lightly down 

 and went (luietly to feeiling as if nothing had haitpeiied. Four young 

 were st'en just ready to leave the nest ^lay 10, 15)03. (i. (J. Williamson 

 olttained an adult female and a young male May 20, 188(>. 

 00. [477] Ct/anoritta cristatd (Linn.). Blue Jay.* Fig. 16. 



Abtuidaut resident: sometimes less ntimerous in winter. 



Jays were nearly all mated March S, 1903, and a pair was observed 

 mating February 10. loni. This pair began a nest but abiindoned it 

 when about one-fotirth completed, Feln'uary 22. N. B. flyers observed 

 them iiestbuilding March .">. ISOO. More usual dates are: Nestbuihling. 

 March 17, '0;>: March 22. "(►2, a half-completed nest was found: nest 

 coini)leted March 2(i. 1002, and 1003: three pairs nestbulldlng April 1, 

 ■(II: nests with three eggs were found April 15 and 17, 10(t3 (W. L. M.). 

 The former was between two rafters in a corncrib and was I)uilt partly 

 of mud (C. G. L.i. A Blue Jay was seen sitting on uuhatehed eggs May 

 Ki. 1903. 



"As spring approaches thej^ become very vocal, tittering many calls, 

 some very pretty notes, varying from loud to low. Kvidently some 

 of the latter are intended solely for one female to hear. * * * With 

 tis the season of song begins eai'ly in March * * as early as March 



S. =•• * * With it comes jiairing time, which I have known them to 

 continue until Ajiril 27)" (A. W. Butleri. As is above stated the Blue 

 Jay has a great number of calls, many of which are prim-ipally used 

 during the mating season. BtO the writer has never heard a Jay give 

 a call during that season that has not ))een heard during every other 

 month from September to .luiie at some time during the past four years. 

 Careful observations and a separate series of notes have lieeii nia<le with 

 the above conclusion as a result. 



On April 28 and 20. 10".:;. at a time of very abundant nocturnal 

 migration, many Jays were seen migi-ating by day. Th(\v Hew steadily 

 and (luite high (about 200 ft.), in a northeast direction. The llight 

 of the 20th was exactly similar to that of the 2Sth: no .lays were 

 even 200 yards from the i)ath. Whether tlie tiight kept up all night 

 is a ((uestion. Following are a few groups observed on ea<'h day and the 

 ajjjjroximate time elapsing IietAveen their i)assage of a given point: April 



