THE EOOKY MOUNTAIN JAY. 389 



its range. It passes north into British Nortli America and apparently beyond, 

 but how far in that direction has not yet been determined. It is moderately 

 common in sxiitable localities in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. 



I first met with the Rocky Mountain Jay on October 31, 1875, while on a 

 hunting trip, on the head waters of Bear Creek, a tributary of Silvies River, in 

 the Blue Mountains, in Grrant County, Oregon, at an altitude of about 6,600 

 feet. It appeared to be rather rare, only two specimens being observed. These 

 were attracted by a deer which I had killed, and were feeding on the offal. I shot 

 one of the birds, which is now in the United States National Museum collection. 

 I believe this point marks about the western limits of its range, the somewhat 

 smaller Oregon Jay being also found in the same mountains, not more than 10 

 miles west of this locality. I also saw a few of these birds in the Bitter Root 

 Mountains, as well as in the Yellowstone National Pai-k, in 1877, but had no 

 opportunity then to observe them closely. Their general habits appear to be 

 very similar to those of the Canada Jay. Dr. James C. Merrill, United States 

 Army, met with it near Fort Sherman, Idaho, where it appears to be a some- 

 what irregular visitor within a few miles of this Pass. 



Mr. Frank M. Drew, in his paper on the Birds of San Juan County, Colo- 

 rado, in the "Nuttall Ornithological Club Biilletin" (Vol. VI, 1881, p. 140), 

 speaking of this bird says: "Quite abundant, in summer ranging from 10,000 

 feet altitude to timber line. In autumn, when on his first tour of inspection 

 around the house, he hops along in a curious sidelong manner, just like a school- 

 girl in a slow hurry. White-headed, grave, and sedate, he seems a very paragon 

 of propriety, and if you appear to be a suitable personage, he will be apt to 

 give you a bit of advice. Becoming confidential, he sputters out a lot of non- 

 sense in a manner which causes you to think him a veritable 'Whisky Jack;' 

 yet, whenever he is disposed, a more bland, mind-his-own-business-appearing 

 bird will be hard to find, as will also be many small articles around camp after 

 one of his visits, for his whimsical brain has a great fancy for anything which 

 may be valuable to you, but perfectly useless to him." 



Very little is yet known about the nests and eggs of the Rocky Mountain 

 Jay, and they are unrepresented in the United States National Museum collec- 

 tion. The late Dr. T. M. Brewer received both from Mr. Edwin Carter, of 

 Breckenridge, Colorado, and describes them as follows: 



"On April 2, 1879, Mr. Carter found the nest of the Rocky Mountain 

 Jay near Breckenridge, Colorado, at an altitude of about 10,000 feet. The nest 

 was placed on a horizontal branch of a pine tree, 3 feet from the trunk and 40 

 feet from the ground. It contained three eggs, apparently its full complement, 

 which were slightly incubated. The nest, which is now before me as I write, 

 is warmly, strongly, and compactly interwoven of various materials, of which 

 the feathers and down of various kinds of birds constitute the characteristic 

 ingredient. The nest measures 4 inches in external height and 7 in diameter. 

 The cavity is 2 inches deep and 4 in diameter at the top. The external 

 framework of the nest is a rude but strong interweaving of twigs and small 



