416 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 
observed the bird here. It is not improbable that before the pine forests 
were cut off this species may have been a winter visitor as far south as 
Shiawassee county at least, and possibly much farther south along the Lake 
Michigan shore. The most southern record which we can find is the 
statement by Mr. Newell A. Eddy that he found it common on the south 
branch of the Pine River, north of Bay City, in November, 1879. 
It is common in suitable places throughout the Upper Peninsula and has 
been recorded repeatedly from Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, 
Crawford, Oscoda and Alpena counties in the Lower Peninsula. We 
have a skin in the College collection taken in Alpena county, November 
22, 1898, by A. B. Durfee, and two skins of young birds, stilkin immature 
plumage, taken near Iron Mountain, Dickinson county, May 20, 1894, by Mr. 
EK. E. Brewster. This may be considered pretty good proof that the bird 
nested in that county, for it is not likely that these birds would have 
wandered south during the spring. Mr. O. B. Warren states that the species 
is common and nests in Marquette county, but we have been unable to 
obtain a single nesting record for the state. The interesting account given 
by Mr. O. B. Warren (Auk, XVI, 1899, pp. 12-19), with excellent photo- 
graphs of nest and young, relates to Mahoning, Minnesota, not Michigan, 
although the statement occurs in the article that the observations were 
made at ‘Mahoning, Mich.” This nest was built between February 22 
and March 12, 1898, and confirms the statement made by various other 
authors that nesting is always very early in the season, the eggs being laid 
almost invariably in March. 
According to Captain Bendire the eggs are usually three or four, although 
five are sometimes found. Their ground color is gray, flecked and spotted 
over the entire surface with various shades of brown and lavender. They 
average 1.16 by .82 inches. 
The Canada Jay is said to be fully as destructive to the eggs and young 
of wild birds as his near relative the Blue Jay, but we have no data tending 
either to confirm or disprove these statements. In Michigan the bird 
has been but rarely noted in summer, and so far as we know there have been 
no observations made on its summer food. 
Dr. Ixneeland, in his Birds of Keweenaw Point (1859) says: ‘This 
bird is common in winter, and a great pest to the trappers, from its pro- 
pensity to steal their poisoned baits. Like the Raven it often falls a victim 
to its greediness, by devouring meat containing strychnine set for foxes 
and the fur-bearing animals.”’ 
According to Seton Thompson “Many of its notes resemble those of the 
Blue Jay, but it has a number distinctly its own. Some of these are 
musical, but most of them are harsh and discordant.” 
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 
Adult (sexes alike): No crest; forehead and anterior part of crown white or grayish 
_white, the nasal tufts usually buffy or rusty; crown, occiput and nape brownish black to 
sooty black, bordered behind by a broad grayish white or ashy collar; rest of upper surface 
brownish or slaty-gray, the wing and tail feathers tipped with whitish; cheeks, chin, throat 
and chest white or grayish-white; rest of under parts plain gray, very variable in shade, 
"but always darker than the chest; bill and feet black; iris brown. 
</: Young: Nearly uniform slate-gray, as they leave the nest, with whitish tips on wing 
; and tail feathers, but no trace of white forehead or throat; later the forehead becomes much 
lighter than the occiput, but the full plumage is not assumed until the following spring. 
Length 11 to 12.10 inches; wing 5.60 to 5.90; tail 5.65 to 6.35; culmen .95 to 1.08. 
