BIRDS OF 



GENUS CYANOCITTA STRICKLAND. 



186. CYANOCITTA CRISTATA. (LINN.). 477. 



Blue Jay. 



Purplish-blue; below pale gray, whitening on the throat, belly and cris- 

 sum ; a black collar across the lower throat and up the sides of the neck and 

 head behind the crest, and a black frontlet bordered with whitish ; wings 

 and tail, pure rich blue, with black bars, the greater coverts, secondaries and 

 tail feathers, except the central, broadly tipped with pure white; tail, much 

 rounded, the graduation over an inch. Length, 11-12 ; wing, 5^ ; tail, 5! . 



HAB. Eastern North America to the Plains, and from the Fur Countries 

 south to Florida and Eastern Texas. 



Nest, in trees or bushes, built of sticks, lined with weeds, grasses and 

 other soft material. 



Eggs, 5 to 6 ; variable in color, usually clay color with brown spots. 



This species is common throughout Ontario, and may be 

 considered resident, for though the greater number migrate in 

 the fall, a few always remain and are heard squalling 

 among the evergreens any mild day in the depth of winter. 



Notwithstanding his gaudy attire, the Jay is not a favorite, 

 which is probably owing to his having many traits of character 

 peculiar to the " bad boy," being always ready for sport or 

 spoil. He frequently visits the farm house for purposes of 

 plunder, and when so engaged works silently and diligently till 

 his object is attained. He then gets off to the woods as quickly 

 as possible, where he may afterwards be heard chuckling to him- 

 self over his success. 



There is a swampy spot in a clump of bush in West Flam- 

 boro' where a colony of Blue Jays has spent the winter for several 

 seasons, and they seem to have lots of fun even in the sever- 

 est weather. I have occasionally called in when passing, and 

 have found amusement listening to their varied notes 

 issued in quite a colloquial strain. Sometimes the birds 

 are on the ground, busily gathering nuts with which to replen- 

 ish their storehouses, but if a scout arrives with some 

 interesting intelligence, off goes the whole troop, each 

 individual apparently knowing the object of the excursion. 

 On the return notes are compared, and I almost fancy 



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