ALEXANDER WILSON. 45 



gesticulations, for which the whole tribe of jays are 

 so remarkable, that, with some other peculiarities, 

 they might have very well justified the great Swe- 

 dish naturalist in forming them into a separate 

 genus by themselves. 



46 The blue jay builds a large nest, frequently in 

 the cedar, sometimes on an apple-tree, lines it with 

 dry fibrous roots, and lays five eggs of a dull olive, 

 spotted with brown. The male is particularly care- 

 ful of not being heard near the place, making his 

 visits as silently and secretly as possible. His 

 favourite food is chestnuts, acorns, and Indian corn. 

 He occasionally feeds on bugs and caterpillars, and 

 sometimes pays a plundering visit to the orchard, 

 cherry-rows, and potato-patch; and has been known, 

 in times of scarcity, to venture into the barn, through 

 openings between the weather-boards. In these 

 cases he is extremely active and silent, and, if sur- 

 prised in the fact, makes his escape with precipi- 

 tation, but without noise, as if conscious of his 

 criminality. 



" Of all birds, he is the most bitter enemy to the 

 owl. No sooner has he discovered the retreat of 

 one of these, than he summons the whole feathered 

 fraternity to his assistance, who surround the glim- 

 mering solitaire, and attack him from all sides, 

 raising such a shout as may be heard, in a still day, 

 more than half a mile off. "When, in my hunting 

 excursions, I have passed near this scene of tumult, 

 I have imagined to myself that I heard the insult- 

 ing party venting their respective charges with all 



