THE MAGPIE AND BLUE-JAY 
203 
of their fear of the big condor, the painful pecks 
they get from the herons, and the greediness of 
the ducks in devouring all of their kind of food. 
In the days of elk and buffalo slaughter, the 
Magpies feasted continually upon fresh meat. 
Now they make friends with the ranchmen, and 
eat all kinds of food. This interesting bird 
ranges from Alaska, and the edge of the arctic 
barrens, southward through the great plains 
and mountains to the arid regions of the South- 
Besides his harsh “Jay,” a crow is a sweet 
songster. He will take your cherries right before 
your eyes, and then scold you roundly for not 
looking pleasant about it! He robs the nests of 
other birds, eating eggs or young, whichever 
may be there; and to that extent he is a pest. 
During the closed season on eggs and young 
nestlings, he lives on insects — until berries and 
small fruits ripen. If Jays were as numerous 
as English sparrows, it would be necessary to 
AMERICAN MAGPIE. 
west. It is easily kept in confinement, if pro- 
vided with a large cage and a suitable house, 
out-of-doors. 
The Blue-Jay 1 needs no description — only 
toleration; for his reputation would be all the 
better for washing. He is a bird of unbounded 
assurance, and being well known as a marauder, 
it is only his audacity which saves him from 
extermination. Externally, he is really a beauti- 
ful bird, but his voice is strident and unmusical. 
1 Cy-an-o-cit'ta cris-ta’ta. Length, 11.50 inches. 
reduce their number; but they are not so nu- 
merous or so destructive that we need to attack 
them. 
Steller’s Jay 2 is one of the handsomest birds 
of the moist and dark forest region of the Pacific 
coast, which extends from Mount St. Elias to 
San Francisco Bay. It is also the type of three 
subspecies, or varieties, found farther east and 
south. It is the Pacific coast counterpart of 
our blue-jay, — high-crested, barred with black 
2 Cy-an-o-cit'ta stel'ler-i. Length, 12.50 inches. 
