ee "THE PINON JAY. 
the higher coniferous forests; its favorite haunts are the pinon-covered 
foothills of the minor mountain regions, the sweet and very palatable seeds 
of these trees furnishing its favorite food during a considerable portion of 
the year. In summer they feed largely on insects of all kinds, especially 
grasshoppers, and are quite expert in catching these on the wing; cedar 
and juniper berries, small seeds of various kinds, and different species of 
wild berries also enter largely into their bill of fare. A great deal of time 
is spent on the ground where they move along in compact bodies while 
feeding, much in the manner of Blackbirds, the rearmost birds rising from 
time to time, flying over the flock and alighting again in front of the main 
body; they are rather shy and alert while engaged in feeding. I followed 
a flock numbering several thousands which was feeding in the open pine 
forest bordering the Klamath Valley, Oregon, for more than half a mile, 
trying to get a shot at some of them, but in this I was unsuccessful. They 
would not allow me to get within range, and finally they became alarmed, 
took wing, and flew out of sight down the valley. On the next day, 
September 18, 1882, I saw a still larger flock, which revealed its presence 
by the noise made; these I headed off, and awaited their approach in a 
dense clump of small pines in which I had hidden; I had not long to wait 
and easily secured several specimens. On April 4, 1883, I saw another 
large flock feeding in the open woods, evidently on their return to their 
breeding grounds farther north, and by again getting in front of them I 
secured several fine males. These birds are said to breed in large numbers 
in the juniper groves near the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains, on 
the head waters of the Des Chutes River, Oregon. I have also seen them 
in the Yakima Valley, near old Fort Simcoe, in central Washington, in 
June, 1881, in an oak opening, where they were quite numerous. Their 
center of abundance, however, is in the pifion or nut-pine belt, which does 
not extend north of latitude 40°, if so far, and wherever these trees are 
found in large numbers the Pifon Jay can likewise be looked for with 
confidence. 
“Their call notes are quite variable; some of them are almost as harsh 
as the ‘chaar’ of the Clarke’s Nutcracker, others partake much of the gabble 
of the Magpie, and still others resemble more those of the Jays. A shrill, 
querulous ‘peeh, peeh, or ‘whee, whee, is their common call note. While 
feeding on the ground they kept up a constant chattering, which can be 
heard for quite a distance, and in this way often betray their whereabouts.” 
