BLUE JAY. 317 



brown, varying somewhat in intensity and being somewhat thicker at the larger end. 

 In the foot-hills, the young are hatched about the first of June, at Idado Springs nearly 

 three weeks later, or not for two months after the appearance of the broods of Clarke's 

 Nutcracker— a singular fact, considering the intimate relations of the two birds, and 

 their similar habits, range, and food." 



SCIENTIFIC NAMES: Corvus hudsonkus Sab. (1823). Pica bndsonica Bonap. (1838). PICA PICA 

 HUDSONICA Jordan (1884). 



DESCRIPTION: "General color, black. The belly, scapulars, and inner webs of the primaries, white; hind 

 part of back, grayish ; exposed part of the tail-feathers, glossy green, tinged with purple and violet 

 near the end; wings, glossed with green; the cecondaries and tertials with blue; tbroat-feathers 

 spotted with white in younger specimens. 



"Length, 19.00 inches; wing, 8.50; tail, 13.00 inches." (B. B. & R. II, p. 266.) 



The Yellow-billed Magpie, Pica nuttalli Audubon, is confined exclusively to 

 California, where it is an abundant bird in many localities. It is the true counterpart 

 of the foregoing species. 

 DESCRIPTION: "Bill, and naked skin behind the eye, bright yellow; otherwise similar to the former." 



BLUE JAY. 



Cyanocitta cristata Strickland. 



Plate XVIIj Fig. 1. 



^HE life <Jf all our small birds is a constant struggle for existence. They are always 

 surrounded by danger, and even the quiet darkness of the night does not afford 

 them perfect safety against nocturnal robbers. The number of their enemies is an 

 exceedingly large one. These are facts verified by all observers w^ho study the life of 

 our birds in the freedom of Nature. Even in gardens and orchards, where the presence 

 of man should serve as a protection, they are not as safe as could be desired. Having 

 arrived in their breeding haunts fi-om the South, they now act as if all sorrow and 

 danger w^as over. They are in ah ecstasy of song and happiness, filling the soul of every 

 cultivated and feeling mind with rapture and anticipation. Yet even in the most favor- 

 able localities they have to be on a constant lookout for enemies. In the woods no 

 nest is safe from the depredations of squirrels, raccoons, and opossums. In the low^er 

 thickets and on the ground numerous nests fall a prey to snakes and mice. Owls, flying 

 squirrels, skunks, and other robbers destroy under the cover of darkness what has 

 escaped the attention of the day robbers. In the gardens cats kill countless numbers of 

 old birds and destroy their nests. The English Sparrow- deprives our native songsters 

 of their nesting sites, and, where numerous enough, drives them away. Near villages 

 and towns tbe small "bad boy" with his sling-shot, air gun, etc., is the terror of all 

 our songsters. 



Among the smaller native birds there are also quite a number of robbers and 



.J 



