murderers. The Butcher-bird kills many an innocent songster. Countless broods of our 

 small insectivorous birds are doomed to an early death by the Cowbird's parasitical 

 propensities. The Grackles plunder many nests. None of these, however, can compare 

 with the Blue Jay in robbing the smaller birds of their eggs and young. Notwith- 

 standing its great beauty, this bird is a villain, a rowdy, thief, and murderer of the 

 very lowest character. 



Being one of the most beautiful birds of our woods, nobody would imagine this 

 fine dude to be such a rascal, coward, and marauder. Its prevailing colot is a glossy 

 sky-blue; wings and tail are crossed with black bars and tipped with pure w^hite, and 

 around the neck runs a deep black collar ; the Underside is grayish. The very conspfcuous 

 crest, which gives the bird a proud, selfish, and gallant appearance, is always carried 

 erect w^hile roving through the w^oods, but w^hen silently sneaking around and when 

 pursued by an enemy, little is to be seen of it. Notwithstanding its brave appearance, 

 the Blue JeLy is the greatest coward of all our familiar birds. Among small birds he 

 really accepts the countenance of a lord, tries to impose by his superiority and bravery, 

 and annoys by his noisy and saucy disposition. But he is only a braggart. In the face 

 of danger, or when attacked by a bird of his size or by a company of smaller ones, his 

 courage is gone, and he proves himself to be the most ridiculous and wretched coward 

 imaginable. When real danger threatens he sneaks away silently, and when attacked 

 by a Robin, or Kingbird, he screams in the most terrible manner. 



While living at Freistatt, Lawrence Co., Mo., I resided for several years on the 

 edge of an extensive forest, consisting of a dense growth of mostly middle-sized oaks 

 and some hickories. In front of the house there was the ornamental garden on one side 

 and a large orchard on the other. Everywhere among the shade and orchard trees 

 I had placed nesting-boxes for Bluebirds, Bewick's Wrens, Titmice, and Great-crested 

 Flycatchers. Although the Blue Jays had nested in considerable numbers around my 

 «abin in Texas, I found them here much more abundant and presumptuous. Their loud 

 and vehement jay, jay was constantly heard, especially in sultry and rainy weather. As 

 they were exceedingly numerous, their cries resounded from far and near. With great 

 regularity they were roving about in the forest, usually in small scattered troops of 

 "from ten to twenty. This thfey kept up from late summer to early spring, when the 

 flocks separated into pairs. They frequently came down to the ground, but rarely left 

 the woods. During the cold season they mostly subsist on acorns, stored by them in 

 crannies of trees and knot-holes. Frequently they also visit the corn cribs, where through 

 the crevices they pick the com from the cobs. Having never been molested, they have 

 become half domesticated, and fearlessly approach the door-yard in search of food. 

 They are hardy birds, and in their choice of food are not at all particular. I saw them 

 eat all kinds of refuse from the kitchen, even cooked potatoes and the frozen apples on 

 the trees. When deep snow covered the ground they obtained their share of food in the 

 poultry yard, which they featlessly entered. Were we not convinced, that the Blue Jay 

 is a villain and murderer during the breeding season, we would be obliged to admire 

 him for his tameness and beauty, his proud, lively, and exceedingly cunning manners, 

 and his gift of mimicry. In fall and winter the life of the Blue Jay doubtlessly 

 affords much pleasure to the friend of Nature, but in spring and summer, as we will 



