﻿Common Birds in Relation to Agriculture. 303 



extent in the fall. While there may be some truth in 

 these accusations, they have almost certainly been exag- 

 gerated. No doubt many jays have been observed 

 robbing nests of other birds, but thousands have been 

 seen that were not so engaged. 



In an investigation of the food of the blue jay 292 

 stomachs were examined, which showed that animal 

 matter comprised 24 per cent, and vegetable matter 76 

 per cent, of the bird's diet. So much has been said about 

 the nest-robbing habits of the jay that special search was 

 made for traces of birds or birds' eggs in the stomachs, 

 with the result that shells of small birds' Q^m were found 

 in three and the remains of young birds in only two 

 stomachs. Such negative evidence is not sufficient to 

 controvert the great mass of testimony upon this point, 

 but it shows that the habit is not so prevalent as has been 

 believed. Besides birds and their eggs, the jay eats mice, 

 fish, salamanders, snails and crustaceans, which altogether 

 constitute but little more than 1 per cent, of its diet. 

 The insect food is made up of beetles, grasshoppers, 

 caterpillars, and a few species of other orders, all noxious, 

 except some 3J per cent, of predaceous beetles. Thus 

 something more than 19 per cent, of the whole food 

 consists of harmful insects. In August the jay, like many 

 other birds, turns its attention to grasshoppers, which 

 constitute nearly one-fifth of its food during that month. 

 At this time, also, most of the other noxious insects, 

 including caterpillars, are consumed, though beetles are 

 eaten chiefiy in spring. 



The vegetable food is quite varied, but the item of most 

 interest is grain. Corn was found in 70 stomachs, wheat 

 in 8, and oats in 2 — all constituting 19 per cent, of 

 the total food. Corn is evidently the favorite grain, but 

 a closer inspection of the record shows that the greater 

 part was eaten during the first five months of the year, 

 and that very little was taken after May, even in harvest 



