THE OSPREY. 5 



September they are quite gregarious, feeding within sight or hailing distance 

 of each other. A whole family appears to be united until winter, being joined 

 by others, and it is not uncommon to see from 10 to 20 individuals on a small 

 area. As insects destroyers they are unquestionably very beneficial, but as 

 destroyers of young birds and eggs, and the property of man, they are cer- 

 tainly detrimental; therefore of benefit in some localities while injurious in 

 others. Their fondness for eggs keeps many a weaker bird on the qui vive 

 and the unguarded eggs of the California Partridge ( CalUpepla californica) are 

 most commonly taken. Chickens' and turkeys' eggs are often taken from nests 

 away from the barn yard, and this blue pirate often pecks open more than he 

 can use. The turkey is naturally cautious, but often fails to scratch leaves and 

 rubbish over her nest before she leaves, and the sight of a pecked egg in her 

 nest, before she becomes broody, causes her to abandon the others and gen- 

 erally stop laying for a couple of weeks or longer, thus making her young 

 lose the early spring days which are essential for best results to young turkeys. 

 The wise rancher places a bit of "dope" in the mutilated egg, and in nine 

 chances out of ten he will find the dead Jay close by in a day or two. At times 

 this freebooter will enter the yard, and even the chicken house, to feast on 

 eggs or, becoming more bold, will in rare cases attack broods of domestic fowls, 

 and once I watched a hen turkey "standing off" a "kidnapper" that had 

 designs on her newly hatched brood, and she was kept thinking to parry his 

 cunningness and agility. One met his death from a gunshot wound while 

 placidly eating the brain of a small broiler he had attacked and killed. A sports- 

 man told me how he saw a pair of Jays catch three baby quail that the 

 mother was leading across a road. Hunger cannot be the sole incentive for 

 such "crimes" because there is always an abundance of food, but it's his 

 nature to be bold, saucy and thieving, and many of the worst ones bring the 

 whole clan into disfavor. Sometimes they will collect their "gang" and 

 "jump" an inoffensive Red-shafted Flicker {^Colaptes cafer) that is more 

 than a match for them singly. They seem to delight in bullyragging Lewis's 

 Woodpecker {Ilelanerpes torquatus) or the California Woodpecker {^Melanerjpes 

 formicivorus hairdi) whenever they chance to visit this locality to gather 

 acorns for winter use. He will rob almost any unprotected bird's nest, but if 

 the collector tries his hand at it, Mr. Jay is likely to appear and raise as big a 

 fuss as if the nest was his. The bird student has taken a great dislike to him 

 on account of his systematic habit of poking about and raising a noise where 

 quietness is essential to desired results. His harsh "chee-chee-ehee" has long 

 ago driven the subjects of investigation under cover, but that don't matter to 

 him as he goes up to the nest tree top where he perches, alternately bobbing 

 up and down, not forgetting to keep up his noise. The deer stalker in the 

 hills has spent considerable toil and patience, and is at last nearing the spot 



