350 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



The average measurement of sixty-two eggs in the United States National 

 Museum collection is 31.54 by 22.54 millimetres, or about 1.24 by 0.89 inches. 

 The largest egg of the series measures 34.29 by 22.86 millimetres, or 1.35 by 

 0.90 inches: the smallest, 28.45 by 21.34 millimetres, or 1.12 by 0.84 inches. 



The type specimen, N<>. 25125 (PI. 3, Fig. 14), Ralph collection, from a 

 set of seven eggs, taken near Valley Springs, California, April 13, 18M"2, repre- 

 sents one of the lighter-colored types found among the eggs of this species. 



139. Cyanocitta cristata (Jannmub). 



BLUE JAY. 



Corvns cristatus Lnmaaus, Systems Naturae, ed. in. I. 1758, 106. 

 Cyanocitta cristata Strickland, Annals of Natural History. XV. 1845, 201. 

 ^B 434, G 234, K 889, 349, U 477.) 



Geographical range: Eastern North America; north in the Dominion of Canada 

 to about latitude 52°, and casually to latitude 56°; west to eastern Assiuiboia. eastern 

 North ami South Dakota, eastern Nebraska and Kansas, the eastern half of the Indian 

 Territory, and northern Texas: south through the United States, excepting Florida, the 

 Gulf Coast, and southeastern Texas during the breeding season. 



The Blue Jay, one of our best-known birds, is a resident and breeds 

 throughout the greater portion of its range, but is usually only a summer 

 visitor in the northern parts of the United States and southern Canada, though 

 even there some are occasionally found in midwinter in suitable localities where 

 beechnuts and acorns, on which they principally subsist at such times, are abun- 

 dant. Few oi' our native birds compare in beauty of plumage and general 

 bearing with the Blue Jay. and while one can not help admiring him on account 

 of his amusing and interesting traits, still even his best friends can not say much 

 in his favor, and though I have never caught one actually in mischief, so many 

 elose observers have done so that one ean not very well, even if so inclined, 

 disprove the principal charge brought against this handsome freebooter. He is 

 accused of destroying many of the eggs and young of our smaller birds, and 

 this is so universally admitted that there ean be no doubt of its truth. 



Mr. Henry Nehrling, for instance, in his charming work, gives the Blue 

 Jay one of the worst possible reputations, based not on mere hearsay evidence, 

 but on personal observations, and he is well known as an exeeedingly accurate 

 ornithologist. 1 



Mr. "R. M. Kirbv Smith, of Sewanee. Tennessee, writes: "The Blue Jay 

 is very abundant in this vicinity, and does a great deal of harm by eating the 

 eggs of smaller birds, particularly those of the Chipping Sparrow. I have often 

 caught them in the act of destroying their nests and eggs." 



Mr. J. W. Preston, of Baxter. Iowa, writes me on the same subject as fol- 

 lows: '"The Jay in this region has become a veritable nuisance. The smaller 

 species of birds are utterly at its mercy in nesting time, and comparatively few 



1 Die Xorilaruerikanisclie Vogelwelt. pp. 49S-4ii7. 



