266 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS 
ning, and a tendency to thievishness. The difficulty of ap- 
proaching these birds with a gun is proverbial. They are 
brave in defending their nests from the approach of other 
birds, but, in turn, are very commonly pursued and annoyed 
by the pugnacious King-bird. They frequently follow hawks, 
who easily avoid, and seemingly disregard them; and they 
take great pleasure in mobbing owls, whom they surround with 
noisy greetings, whenever discovered in the day-time. Wilson, 
however, quotes an anecdote of one being killed by a large owl 
at evening. 
(d). The notes of the Crow, which are highly unmusical, 
are ordinarily a slightly prolonged caw, or a shorter och fre- 
quently repeated. There is another distinct cry, more gut- 
tural, which suggests the rattling of a rope through a pulley. 
This I at first attributed to individuals with ‘ broken” voices, 
but I am now inclined to believe that it is merely peculiar to 
the season of spring. It is perhaps also used as a note to their 
young, whose voice is feebler and distinct from that of their 
parents. The Crows, in producing their notes, are obliged to 
gesticulate, when perched, and occasionally (in individuals) to 
suspend the motion of their wings, when flying. 
Of all our birds, the crows and jays are doubtless most 
worthy of being destroyed. The former have not, however, I 
think, diminished in numbers, as Mr. Allen believed to be the 
case when he wrote his catalogue, but, on the contrary, have 
steadily increased. They are in summer abundant throughout 
a larger part of New England. 
II. CYANURUS 
(A) cristatus. Blue Jay. 
(A common resident throughout Massachusetts.) 
(a). 11-12 inches long, and crested. Above, purplish-blue ; 
beneath, white, becoming distinctly gray on the breast, and 
bluish on the throat. Wings and tail, bright blue, more or 
less black-barred, and white-tipped (except the primaries). 
Collar and frontlet, black. 
(b). The nest is generally placed in a low pine, or other 
