THE STELLER JAY. 33 



other birds and feasting- t)n llieir eggs. This is not true, altlio occasionally 

 a Jay will destro_\- the hdiiie nf another bird. In Oregon I have often seen 

 this bird feeding on wheat about the edge of the fields after the grain has 

 been cut. Fruit, grain, grasshoppers and other insects make np a large part 

 of his food. 



Several years ago I saw a small (lock of California Jays along the 

 Columbia River in the dead of winter. During the nesting .season the jay is 

 too quiet to show his real character. During the autumn and winter he throws 

 off all restraint, picks up a few mates and goes wandering about from place to 

 place in search of food. The bold and boisterous squawk of the Blue Jav 

 always comes to my ear as a welcome and fitting note to relieve the cold quiet 

 of the winter woods. 



One day I was watching several English Sparrows that were feeding on 

 the ground under an oak when a pair of California Jays came fixing thru the 

 trees. \\'ith a loud squawk one swooped down, with his wings and tail spread 

 and his feathers pufifed out as mucii as possible, evidently expecting to scare 

 the sparrows. He dropped right in their midst with a screech which plainly 

 said, "Get out of here or I'll eat you up alive!" The bluff might ha\e worked 

 with any bird except an Englisher. The Sparrows sputtered in contem])t and 

 were ready to fight but the Jay's attitude changed in a second. He took on an 

 air of meekness and unconcern and hopped ofif looking industriouslv in the 

 grass for .something he liad no idea of tinding. I thought it a good touch of 

 Jay character. 



WILLI.\^[ L. Fix LEV. 



No. 9. 



STELLER'S JAY. 



A. O. U. No. 478. Cyanocitta stelleri (Cimelin). 



Synonjms. — "Bluk J.w." "J.winuD." 



Description. — Adults: Head and neck all around, and back, sooty black, 

 lunched with streaks of cerulean blue on forehead, and pales, gray on chin and 

 throat, tiiis color passing insensibly into dull blue on breast and rump and richer 

 blue on wings and tail ; terminal portion of tail and wings crossed with fine black 

 bars, sharply on secondaries and tertials, faintly or not at all on greater coverts. 

 Bill and feet black ; iris brown. Young birds are more extensively sooty, and 

 wing-bars are faint or wanting. Length of adults about 12.00: wing e,.()o ( (50) : 

 tail 5.43 ('138) ; bill 1.18 (30) : tarsus 1.80 (46). 



Recognition Marks. — Robin size: harsh notes: blue and black coloration 

 nnniistakal)lc. 



