No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 521 



The JUue Jav (se.e Fig. 1) has a bad reputation for its supposed 

 destruction of the eggs and young of other birds. It is very doubtful 

 if this be true, but it is quite a destroyer of insects, and certainly 

 is not nearly so bad in regard to egg destruction as the English Spar 

 row, which Ave so wrongly tolerate. The Jay lives mostly in more or 

 less wooded districts, or in orchards, where it can find concealment 

 during certain parts of the day. It is with us the year round, and is 

 often conspicious by its noisy calls, and brightly colored blue, white 

 and black plumage. In condemning it for its habits of feeding on 

 the eggs of other birds, we must not forget that it feeds also upon 

 insects of several kinds, while the bulk of its food consists of wild 

 berries, seeds and acorns. We know that where the Blue Jay is 

 abundant, there we also find other birds, and therefore the Jay is not 

 so seriously destructive in character. AVe do not wish to think of 

 the day when the Blue Jays are exterminated, and we, therefore, re- 

 gret that it is upon the unprotected list. 



In writing on "The Blue Jay and its Food," Doctor Beals, who 

 carefully examined the contents of stomachs of about three hundred 

 Jays, published in his official report in the year book of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture for the year 1896, the following: 



"The most striking point in the study of the food of the Blue Jay 

 is the discrepancy between the testimony of field observers concern- 

 ing the bird's nest-robbing proclivities and the results of stomach 

 examinations. The accusations of eating eggs and young birds are 

 certainly not sustained, and it is futile to attempt to reconcile the 

 conflicting statements on this point, which must be left until more 

 accurate observation have been made. In destroying insects the Jay 

 undoubtedly does much good. Most of the predaceous beetles w^hich 

 it eats do not feed on other insects to any great extent. On the other 

 jiand, it destroys some grasshopj)ers and caterjiillars and many 

 noxious beetles, such as Scarabaeids, click beetles (Elaterids), wee- 

 vils (Curculionids), Buprestids, Chrysomelids, and Tenebrionids. The 

 Blue Jay gathers its fruit from nature's orchard and vineyard, not 

 from man's; corn is the only vegetable food for which the farmer 



