OF NEW ENGLAND. 271 
“TI have often been delighted by the sight of their grace- 
ful movements on al ghting after removing from one tree to 
another, or while flying across a road or a piece of water. 
They have an odd way of nodding their head, and jerking their 
body and tail, while they emit their curiously diversified notes, 
which at times resemble a low sort of mewing, at others the 
sound given out by an anvil lightly struck with a hammer. 
They frequently alight about the middle of a tree, and hop 
th airy grace from one branch to another until they reach 
the very top, when they remove to another tree, and thus pro- 
ceed through the woods. Their flight resembles that of the 
Blue Jay, although I do not consider it quite so firm or pro- 
tracted. 
“The Canada Jay breeds in Maine, in New Brunswick, 
Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Labrador. It begins so early 
as ®ebruary or March to form its nest, which is placed in 
the thickest part of a fir tree, near the trunk, and at a height 
of from five to ten feet. The exterior is composed of dry 
twigs, with moss and grass, and the interior, which is flat, is 
formed of fibrous roots. The eggs, which are from four to six, 
are of a light grey color, faintly marked with brown. Only 
one brood is raised in the season. I found the young follow- 
ing their parents on the 27th of June, 1833, at Labrador, where 
I shot both old and young, while the former was in the act of 
feeding the latter.” 
The remainder of Audubon’s biography is chiefly quotations 
from other authors, or descriptions of the birds. The follow- 
ing paragraph is, however, of interest. Still referring to the 
Canadian Jay, Audubon says: 
*‘ Its range is very extensive, as I have specimens procured 
by Mr. Townsenp on the Columbia River, and it has been ob- 
served by Dr. Ricuarpson as far northward as lat 65°. The 
former of these naturalists states that he found ‘these birds at 
the site of old Fort Astoria, on the Columbia river. They were 
very noisy and active; the voice is strong and harsh.. The 
Indians however say that thay are rarely seen, and that they 
do not breed hereabouts.’ Mr. Titian Pras has obtained it 
