BLUE JAY. 



461 



(or (lie farmer, will visit the (Mini llolil iu order to enrry away the ripened .lirain. It is 

 a.stoiiisliiii^- wliat an iimouiit of corn these birds will manage to remove in a few weeks. 

 When they h;ive once found a field which is near enough to a wood for them to enter it 

 nnperceived, they will labor persistently until the husbandman inteferers with them by 

 shooting Some of the thieves or by removing his corn to the barn. Thus the provident 

 Jays find a store of provisions awaiting them when the ground is covered so deeply with 

 ice and snow as to be inaccessible to them. 



In flying the Jays are somewhat awkward, moving quite slowly, but among the thick 

 branch(is of the dense woods they are perfectly at home and, as they are exceedingly watch- 

 ful, they are very difficult to approach. If one who has had but little experience in study- 

 ing the habits of these birds, enters a grove which is resounding with their loud cries in 

 search of them, he will be surprised to find that the noise suddenly ceases. He pushes 

 onward into a thicket from which the sound appeared to come only a moment before, but 

 finds nothing and, after a thorough search in every portion of the woods, is obliged to give 

 u[) the chase, unsuccessful, although the birds have not left the place and have doutlessly 

 often gazed at him within gunshot. They wei'e merely practicing the art of concealing them 

 selves and iu this they are almost perfect. I use 'almost' as a qualifying word for I long 

 ago discovered a vulnerable point in their armor; unfortunately they are very inipiisitive. 

 As long as the intruder bustles about and shows himself, they sit very (luietly in their 

 hiding places or just keep out of his sight by hopping nimbly from limb to limb, but should 

 he merely enter the grove and conceal himself, they appear eager to find out what he looks 

 like. They go about it very cautiously, however, but right here another unfortunate trait 

 discloses itself, they will not keep quiet, but at first one will begin a low muttering sounding 

 exactly as if it were conversing with its companions who will then answer. Thus I ha\ e 

 seen many a Jay come to grief through these two faults. 



Like the Crows, the Jays always mob an Owl whenever it ventures into their domains 

 but they are usually content with simply driving it out of the woods, seldom following it 

 into the open sections. They also dislike Hawks and will follow them with mocking 

 cries, taking care, however, to keep well out of the way, yet will always try to annoy their 

 large enemy by imitating his shrill cries. This they do to perfection for the Jays are fine 

 mimics and their voices are capable of considerable modulation. Their usual notes are 

 harsh and Somewhat discordant yet to me it is not unpleasant, but I presume this is owing 

 more to the very pleasing associations connected with them tlian to any harmony in the 

 .sounds themselves, for the cries of the Jays are oftener heard on those misty autumnal days, 

 when the forests of New Englanld are so rich in cidor ;ind when the air is as soft and warm 

 as if the departed summer had returned. 



The Jays always seem to itrefer the pine or evergreen trees and in winter they are 

 seldom found far away from them, as they retreat to them for shelter during storms ami 

 severe weather. No matter how intense the cold, these birds manage to survive i)rovided 

 they have an abundance of food, but I have, on a few occasions, i'ound them frozen to 

 death. This was when a sudden cold snap succeeded a long rain storm, then doubtlcs.sly 

 the Jays were wet through and in this condition their feathers were not such perfect 



