878 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



Prof. W. P. Shannon has found eggs beginning to hatch (April 27). 

 According to data, which he kept in 1896, a nest was begun April 1, 

 the first egg laid April 17; an egg was laid each day, the fourth and 

 last April 20; sitting began April 21, and the young were hatched 

 May 2. That would make the period of incubation 12 days. Major 

 Bendire says it is fifteen or sixteen days. Both sexes assist, and 

 usually but one brood is reared. They use whatever is handy for nest- 

 making. If in the woods, twigs, grass, leaves, bark, and sometimes 

 mud is employed. About houses, strings, ra^s, paper, and almost any- 

 thing in the way of odds and ends is used. It is usually placed from 

 10 to 20 feet high in a tree. 



The Jay is pretty; his song and his queer ways are interesting, but 

 every one has something against him. He is quarrelsome, teasing, 

 persecuting and murderous, at times. Yet again he will live at peace 

 with a mixed company of good birds in a town yard, as he .has done 

 for years in mine, becoming, instead of the shy, hiding bird of the 

 woods, a companion of the chickens when feeding-time comes. The 

 Jay does so many unexpected things that I, long ago, concluded not to 

 be surprised at anything he does. I have no doubt that many Jays 

 are bad. Individuals or pairs are depraved, and in spring rob other 

 birds of their eggs or young. In fact, I knew of a case in town in 

 which they robbed the nest of a robin of its eggs. But we hear of such 

 outrages and the good it does goes by unknown. 



Investigations made show that the charges against the Jay are true, 

 but that they are not so extensive as one would suppose, and that there 

 is another column in the account in which should be given the credit 

 due. The United States Department of Agriculture reports the in- 

 vestigation of 292 stomachs. Shells of birds' eggs were found in 

 three, and the remains of young birds in two. They eat mice, fish, 

 salamanders, snails and crustaceans; altogether, a little over 1 per cent, 

 of their food. Of harmful insects, they eat a little over 19 per cent. 

 In August, nearly one-fifth of its food is grasshoppers; 19 per cent, of 

 their food was cereals; 70 stomachs contained corn, most of which was 

 eaten in the first five months of the year; 8, wheat; 2, oats. Mast 

 formed the principal food. This (acorns, chestnuts, chinquapins, etc.), 

 was found in 158 stomachs, over 42 per cent, of the whole food. Wild 

 fruits were also eaten. The Jay eats many harmful insects. It does 

 not destroy as many birds' eggs and young as was supposed. It does 

 little harm to agriculture (Beal, Farmers' Bulletin, No. 54, pp. 14, 15). 



Prof. F. H. King found, out of 31 specimens examined, one had 

 killed three young robins; 15 had eaten 30 beetles; 2, 2 caterpillars; 2, 

 2 grubs; 1, other larvae; 2, grasshoppers; 5, corn; 1, wheat; 1, berries, 



