Peake Vili ——BEwE AY. 
Cyanocitta cristata. 
Above light blue; head splendidly crested; cheeks, throat and 
under-parts bluish white; wings and tail a darker blue, barred with 
black, and many of the feathers broadly tipped with white; a black 
band encircles the neck ; tail much rounded ; mouth, tongue, bill and 
legs black. Length, 11.75 inches. 
A thieving, mischievous, handsome creature. It devours the eggs and young of other 
birds, and feeds also, upon acorns, chestnuts, berries, fruit, corn, insects, caterpillars, etc. 
Nests in trees and bushes. Much of great interest has been written about the Blue Jay ; 
see, for example, Thoreau’s Succession Or Forest TREES ; Olive Thorne Miller's A Birp oF 
Arrairs, and an amusing though unscientific chapter in Mark Twain's Tramp ABROAD. 
Samuels says: ‘‘Its notes consist of a shrill cry like jay-jay-jay, repeated often and in 
a high key ; a shrill whistle like wheeo-wheeo-wheeo ; a hoarse rattle and an exceedingly 
sweet, bell-like note.” 
The Blue Jay is a permanent resident here. Although large flocks may be seen 
traveling southward in the Autumn, the number of the birds does not seem to be dimin- 
ished in our woods during Winter. The difference, in respect of domiciliation, between 
gr 
