Family Corvidce Blue Jay 133 



eggs or killing their young . . . and spreading sor- 

 row wherever he goes. In the stealing of grain he 

 rivals the crow. . . . As a leader of riots, though a 

 coward, he does not hesitate occasionally to tease the 

 hawks . . . or to take advantage of the owls when 

 confused by daylight. . . . As a disturber of the gen- 

 eral peace, he delights to spread terror among other 

 birds by imitating the cries of hawks, cr to deceive 

 them by pretending distress. MlNOT. 



The ordinary note is a scream, often uttered on 

 the wing, which bears some resemblance to the 

 syllable jay ; but the bird is credited besides with a 

 rich, bell-like note. He is said also to possess the 

 power of mimicry and that of ventriloquism. The 

 utterance of any note, save when he is on the wing, 

 is accompanied by most ludicrous motions. 



LITERATURE : 



In Nesting-Time. OLIVE THORNE MILLER. 



A Bird Lover in the West IBID. 



Little Brothers of the Air. IBID. 



A Naturalist's Rambles. (Art. " Three Beeches.") C. C. ABBOTT. 



