266 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS 



ning, and a tendency to thievislmess. 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 

 3 T oung, 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 deslroj^ed. 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) CRIST ATUS. Slue 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. 



(6). The/ nest is generally placed in a low pine, or other 



