CORVID^ — THE CROWS. 287 



The nest of this Jay is formed of dry sticks, placed across each other, 

 and, although rounded in form, is so lightly made that the birds may be 

 seen through its interstices. It is lined with fibrous rootlets. Only one 

 brood is raised in a season. Audubon's descriptions of its eggs are inaccu- 

 rate, and only applicable to those of the Blue Jay. 



Mr. Audubon observed a pair of these birds in confinement in New 

 Orleans. They were fed upon rice and dry fruit. At dessert they were 

 allowed their liberty, when they would fly to the table, feed on the almonds 

 given them, and drink claret diluted with water. They attempted to mimic 

 various sounds, but did so very imperfectly. 



Mr. Nuttall states that at the approach of winter these birds retire to the 

 south of St. Augustine. He regards tlieir voice as less harsh than that of 

 the Blue Jay, and states that they have a variety of notes, some of which 

 are probably imitations, and are said to resemble the song of the Wood 

 Thrush and the calls of the common Jay. 



An egg of the Florida Jay before me is of a rounded oval shape, being 

 nearly equally obtuse at either end. The ground-color is a light bluish-gray, 

 marked almost exclusively at the larger end with a few small spots of a light 

 rufous-brown. It has no near resemblance to the eggs of the California Jay, 

 nor to those of any other Jay that I have seen. It measures 1.05 inches 

 by .80. 



In its flight and action. Dr. Bryant thought the Florida Jay resembled 

 the Mocking-Bird. It has none of the restless, suspicious manner of the 

 Blue Jay. He never heard it utter more than a single note, this being 

 much softer than the usual cry of tlie Blue Jay ; its song he regarded as 

 rather monotonous. It seldom flies more than a short distance at a time, 

 and seems to trust for protection to the difficulty of access to its abode. It 

 also evinces a great partiality for particular localities. Generally only a 

 single pair is seen at a time, though in one place he has seen three pairs 

 together. It is not fond of civilization, and is seldom known to frequent 

 the vicinity of dwellings. 



A nest found by Dr. Bryant on the 15th of April was built in a scrub- 

 oak about three feet from the ground. It was made of small twigs, com- 

 pactly and carefully lined with fibres of the dwarf palmetto, that had ap- 

 parently been brouglit a distance of half a mile. The cavity measured about 

 five inches in breadth and one and a half in depth. The nest contained 

 three eggs of a light blue, sparingly sprinkled with rufous, the spots being 

 larger and more numerous towards the larger end. Another nest, found a 

 few days later, contained five eggs of a more neutral tint, with the spots 

 darker, larger, and more evenly distributed. 



