BIUE JAY. 
255 
l)ratichcs of tho cedar, are scarce heard at a few paces 
distance ; but he no sooner discovers your approach 
than he sets up a sudden and vehcineftt outcry, fij'ing’ 
t>ff, and screaniiuy with all his luig-ht, as if he called 
tile whole feathered tribes of the neijU'lihourliood to 
tfitness some outrageous usage he had received. When 
he hops undisturbed among the high branclies of the 
J*ak and hickory, they become soft and musical ; and 
his calls of the female a stranger would readily mistake 
tor the repeated screakings of an uiigreased wheel- 
harrow. All these he accompanies with various nods, 
Jocks, and other gestieulatious, for which the whole 
tribe of jays arc so remarkabh!, that, with some other 
peculiarities, they might have very well justified the 
b'ceat Swedish naturalist in forming them into a sepa- 
cate genus by themselves. 
The blue jay builds a large nest, freijnently in the 
eedar, sometimes on an api)le-tree, lines it with dry 
hbrous roots, and lays five eggs of a dull olive, spotted 
'vith brown. Tbe male is. jiarticuhirlj'- careful of not 
heiug heard near the phua;, making his visits as silently 
Olid secretly as possible. His favourite food is chestnuts, 
Oeorus, and Indian corn. He occasionally feiuls on bugs 
'‘•Id caterpillars, and sometimes jiays a plundering visit 
••> tho orchard, cherry rows, and potato patch ; and has 
•cen known, in times of scarcity, to venture into tho 
•Urn, through openings between the weather boards. 
^•i these cases he is extremely active and silent, and, if 
Surprised in tho fact, makes his escape with ])recipita- 
•k>n, but without noise, as if conscious of his crimi* 
••ality. 
Hf all birds he is the most bitter enemy to the owl. 
*0 sooner has he discovered the retreat of one of these, 
than he summons the whole feathered fraternity to his 
Assistance, who surround tin- glimmering aolitaire, and 
Attack him from all sides, raising such a shout as may 
lieurd, iu a still day, more than half a mile oft'. When, 
'A my hunting excursions, 1 have jiassed near this 
fK*”® of tumult, 1 have imagined to myself that I heard 
insulting party venting theij' respective charges 
