CORVID^ — THE GROWS. 287 



The nest oftliis Jay is I'ormecl of dry sticks, placed across each Dtlicv, 

 and, altiiough rounded in ibrni, is so lightly made that the birds may lie 

 seen througii its interstices. It is lined witli fibrous rootlets, (^nly one 

 brood is raised in a season. Audubon's descriptions of its eggs are inaccu- 

 rate, and only applicable to tliose of tlie IJlue Jay. 



Mr. Audubon observed a pair of these birds in confinement in New 

 Orleans. They were led ui)on rice and dry fruit. At dessert they were 

 allowed their lil)erty, when tlicy would Hy to the talile, feed on tlie almonds 

 given them, and drink claret diluted witli water. They attempted to mimic 

 various sounds, but did so very imperfectly. 



Mr. Nuttall states that at tiie approach of winter these birds retire to the 

 south of St. Augustine. JTo regards tlieir voice as less harsh tiian that of 

 the JJlue Jay, and states thai they have a variety of notes, some of whidi 

 are jtrobably imitations, and ar; said to resemble the song of the Wt/od 

 Thrush and the calls of the commo- Jay. 



An egg of the Florida Jay before me is of a rounded oval shape, being 

 nearly equally obtuse at either end. The ground-color is a light bluish-gray, 

 marked almost exclusively at the larger end witli a few small spots of a liglit 

 rufous-brown. It has no near resemblance to the eggs of the California Jay, 

 nor to those of any other Jay that I liave seen. It measures l.Oa inches 

 by .80. 



In its flight and action. Dr. Bryant thought the Florida Jay resembled 

 the Mocking- Bird. It has none of the restless, suspicious manner of the 

 Blue Jay. lie never heard it utter more than a single note, tiiis being 

 much softer thau the iisual cry of the Blue Jay ; its song he regarded ns 

 rather monotonous. It seldom flies moi-e than a short distance at a time, 

 and seems to trust for jirotection to the difficulty of access to its abode. It 

 aLso evinces a great partiality for particular localities. Generally (Uily a 

 single pair is seen at a time, though in one place he has seen three pairs 

 tcgether. It is not fond of civilization, and is seldom known to fre(|ueiit 

 tlie vicinity of dwellings. 



A nest found by Dr. Bryant on the 15th of April was built in a scrub- 

 oak about three feet from tlie ground. It was made of small twigs, vom- 

 pactly and carefully lined with fibres of the dwarf palmetto, that had ap- 

 parently been brought a distance of lialf a mile. The cavity measured about 

 five inches in breadth and one and a half in depth. The nest contained 

 three eggs of a liglit blue, sparingly sprinkled with rufous, the spots being 

 lai-ger and more numerous towards the larger end. Another nest, found a 

 few days later, contained five eggs of a more neutral tint, with the spots 

 darker, larger, and more evenly distributed. 



