ANDERSON — THE BIRDS Ol IOWA. 295 



a few miles from city limits across the Missouri River " (Dr. Guy 

 C. Rich). 



Genus Cyanocitta Strickland. 



208. (477). Cyanocitta cristata (Linn.). Blue Jay. 



The Blue Jay is an abundant and familiar resident in all parts 

 of the state. While common throughout the 3'ear, the species 

 seems to perform an imperfect migration, as scattering flocks 

 containing hundreds of individuals are often seen flying south- 

 ward in September or October, and northward in the spring. 

 The Blue Jay feeds principally upon acorns and hazelnuts in the 

 fall, often haunts the vicinity of farmers' corncribs during the 

 winter, and in summer has a fondness for berries and fruits. The 

 most reprehensible habit of the Blue Jay is its penchant for 

 destroying the nests of other birds, eating the eggs or nestlings. 



The Blue Jay's eggs are generalh- laid in Iowa from the second 

 to the last week in April, according to latitude, and second sets 

 are to be found during the whole month of June. The nests are 

 rather bulky, composed of sticks and lined with fine rootlets, 

 placed either in deep woods or in evergreens or shade trees in 

 dooryards. The disposition of the bird varies from that of a bold, 

 saucy marauder, stealing the small l)oy"s store of hazelnuts from 

 a shed roof, perching on the corn-crib roof, picking up kernels in 

 the pig-pen or crumbs from the dooryard, to the wild, wary fel- 

 low haunting the tree- tops in deep woods, his loud chay chay 

 apprising all its denizens of the approach of an intruder. A flock 

 of Blue Jays appear to take great delight in tormenting an owl, 

 and will follow one for hours, making the woods ring with their 

 screams. 



Genus Corvus Linnaeus. 



209. (486). Corvus corax sinuatus (Wagl.). American Raven. 

 The Raven probably does not occur in Iowa at the present time. 



If it does it can only be accounted as a very rare or accidental 

 straggler. Formerly it ranged over the whole of the United 

 States but now is restricted to wild and restricted localities. 

 "The restriction of its range in the United States is probably 

 reducible to a fortuitous matter, since this bird, like some others, 

 sooner or later finds the advances of civilization unsupportable, 

 and retires to regions more congenial to its wild and wary nature" 

 (Coues, Birds of N. W., p. 205). 



