280 LAND-BIRDS. 



mornings in succession, a Canada Jay watching the depar- 

 ture of a Crow from her nest, after she had deposited an egg. 

 When the Crow flew off, the cunning Jay immediately repaired 

 to the nest, and carried away the egg. I have heard it said 

 that the Canada Jay- sometimes destroys the young of other 

 birds of its species, for the purpose of feeding its own with 

 them ; but not having witnessed such an act, I cannot vouch 

 for the truth of the report, which indeed appears to me too 

 monstrous to be credited. 



" I have often been delighted by the sight of their grace- 

 ful movements on alighting after removing from one tree to 

 another, or while flying across a road or a piece of water. 

 They have an odd way of nodding their head, and jerking their 

 body and tail, while they emit their curiously diversified notes, 

 which at times resemble a low sort of mewing, at others the 

 sound given out by an anvil lightly struck with a hammer. 

 They frequently alight about the middle of a tree, and hop 

 with airy grace from one branch to another until they reach 

 the very top, when they remove to another tree, and thus pro- 

 ceed through the woods. Their flight resembles that of the 

 Blue Jay, although I do not consider it quite so firm or pro- 

 tracted. 



"The Canada Jay breeds in Maine, in New Brunswick, 

 Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Labrador. It begins so 

 early as February or March to form its nest, which is placed 

 in the thickest part of a fir tree, near the trunk, and at a 

 height of from five to ten feet. The exterior is composed of 

 dry twigs, with moss and grass, and the interior, which is flat, 

 is formed of fibrous roots. The eggs, which are from four to 

 six, are of a light grey color, faintly marked with brown. 

 Only one brood is raised in the season. I found the young 

 following their parents on the 27th of June, 1833, at Labra- 

 dor, where I shot both old and young, while the former was 

 in the act of feeding the latter." 



The remainder of Audubon's biography is chiefly quotations 

 from other authors, or descriptions of the birds. The follow- 

 ing paragraph, however, is of interest. Still referring to the 

 Canadian Jay Audubon says : 



