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that twenty-six observers believe the jay to be a destructive 
enemy of the smaller birds is not sufficient evidence on which 
to condemn the bird. 
“ Last spring I was disturbed several mornings by an 
outcry among the birds in the trees near the house. A pair 
of blue jays were on a marauding tour, and eggs were the 
morning’s bill of fare.” (Thomas Allen, Bernardston, 
Franklin County.) 
“ The crows and jays are destructive to the sparrows, 
robins and vireos that build in our orchard beside the 
house, where I have a good chance to see them. I believe 
the jays are about as bad as the crows. Several robins’ 
nests are broken up in this way every year, and always 
one, and generally two or three, of each of the others.” 
(J. K. Burgess, Dedham, Norfolk County.) 
“ I have a neighbor . . . who has shot one or two jays 
in the very act of robbing eggs from nests.” (Daniel Bal- 
lard, Millington, Franklin County.) 
“ I have seen blue jays repeatedly sitting on the edge of 
a nest, eating the eggs. This season I found a nest of a 
Vireo solitarius. ... I discovered a blue jay in the act of 
eating up the eggs. When I went to the nest there was 
only one left, and the shells of three others. I have had the 
same experience this year with the nest of Dendroica virens. 
I think jays torment these birds worse than any others. I 
am convinced that jays, during nesting time, hunt for eggs 
with great skill and regularity.” (John E. Thayer, Lan- 
caster, Worcester County.) 
Colonel Thayer also writes of Mr. William Brewster’s 
experience. This Mr. Brewster has told me of personally. 
The methodical manner in which the jays investigated the 
nests of other birds day after day, and destroyed the eggs, 
has convinced him of their destructiveness. He says : “ I 
do not consider that owls, hawks (except the Cooper and 
sharp-shinned), squirrels, weasels or even foxes do any 
serious harm. The blue jay does very much harm to the 
smaller birds by eating their eggs ; and the crow T is also 
harmful in the same way, but to a less degree, according to 
my experience.” 
Mr. S. J. Harris of East Dedham, Norfolk County, speaks 
