15 
of small birds’ eggs 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 crusta- 
ceans, 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 3} 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 chiefly 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 time, when it is abundant. 
This indicates that most of the corn is gleaned from the fields after 
harvest, except what is stolen from cribs or gathered in May at planting 
time. 
The jay’s favorite food is mast (i. e., acorns, chestnuts, chinquapins, 
etc.), which was found in 158 of the 292 stomachs and amounted to 
more than 42 per cent of the whole food. In September corn formed 
15 and mast 35 per cent, while in October, November, and December 
corn dropped to an almost inappreciable quantity and mast amounted 
to 64, 82, and 83 per cent, respectively. And yet in these months corn 
is abundant and everywhere easily accessible. The other elements of 
food consist of a few seeds and wild fruits, among which grapes and 
blackberries predominate. 
The results of the stomach examination show, (1) that the jay eats 
many noxious insects; (2) that its habit of robbing the nests of other 
birds is much less common than has been asserted; and (3) that it does 
little harm to agriculture, since all but a small amount of the corn eaten 
is waste grain. 
THE CROW. 
(Corvus americanus.) 
There are few birds so well known as the common crow, and unlike 
‘most other species he does not seem to decrease in numbers as the 
country becomes more densely populated. The crow is commonly 
»regarded as a blackleg and a thief. Without the dash and brilliaucy 
:of the jay, or the bold savagery of the hawk, he is accused of doing 
‘More mischief than either. That he does pull up sprouting corn, de- 
‘Stroy chickens, and rob the nests of small birds has teen repeatedly 
