General Notes 17 



GENERAL NOTES 



THE PINON JAY IN NEBRASKA. 



The movements of birds and mammals, not only in migration, 

 but in occupation of nev/ territory, in search of food and suitable 

 breeding grounds, is of immense interest to the student of animal 

 life. I am not able to pay the attention to the subject that it de- 

 serves, as my time is largely taken up with plant movements. But 

 I have been much interested in one rather rare bird, now becoming 

 common in Western Nebraska: the Pinon Jay {Cyanocephalus cyan- 

 ocephalus Wied.), an extremely social and fearless creature, with 

 no more consciousness of wrong-doing when he is driving his beak 

 into the skull of a young chicken than the driver of an U boat 

 striking a Lusitania or a hospital ship of the Allies, bearing Ger- 

 man wounded. 



Following my notes, rather than my memory, I find my first ac- 

 quaintance with this gentle robber beginning at Holly, Sheridan 

 County, July 15, 1897, as far as Nebraska is concerned. Holly is 

 a post office on the road from Rushville to Pine Ridge Agency, less 

 than half way. I don't recall inquiring whether they nested there, 

 but they undoubtedly did. Pines are abundant, and furnish much 

 food. Thus much for my notes. But I recall that when I v|sited 

 Newcastle, Wyoming, June, 1896, for ten days and found them com- 

 mon there, they were not new to me, and I have no doubt I made 

 their first acquaintance at Chadron and Crawford in 1889-90. At 

 Newcastle, I found the chicken yards fenced against them on five 

 sides, — every side but the bottom. They could not raise chickens 

 but under cover. 



In Long Pine, Brown County, I saw a few, August 9, 1897; also 

 October 2 in the noted canon. October 18, 1900,, I estimated a flock 

 at 100. Food of all kinds is abundant there. This is 120 miles 

 east of Holly. April 11, 1911, I found about 40 that were wintering 

 at Gibbon, Buffalo County, on the Union Pacific. They picked up 

 the crumbs every day, in the school yard, after the country chil- 

 dren had lunched. By inquiry I learned that about the same num- 

 ber wintered at Norfolk, on the Northwestern, about 100 miles east 

 of Longpine. In 1913, I found them summering in the city park 

 at Valentine, Cherry County, in July and August. This is situated 

 on the Minnechaduza Creek, and is well stocked with pines, cedars, 

 and berries of deciduous shrubs and trees. No one could tell me 

 whether they had nested, but there is no reason to think otherwise. 

 I ought to have consulted the boys for that. 



In the winter of 1915 and 1916 I found them at Wood River, two 

 stations west of Grand Island. In October, 1916, I found them at 



