I am obliged to you for backing up my reputation, as I 
understand you did the other night when the Club seemed inclined to 
■ 
look upon my story, as repeated by Dr, Townsend, as ichthyological 
rather than ornithological * 
* 
I told him the Blue Jay had seven acorns in its throat, but 
on looking over ray notes made at the time (Sept*22, 1885) I find I 
squeezed out ten* As I picked him up I noticed his throat was more 
I 
or less rigid, and hard and nubbly to the touch. On opening his 
bill 1 saw an acorn in his mouth, and taking it out, another beyond 
it. The mystery of the stiff neck was solved, for by squeezing I 
| 
soon got out the acorns which had apparently had lain in his throat 
0 end to end in a line reaching well down to his stomach. I cannot 
recall whether I opened his stomach or dissected him at all-. I 
should say not, as my notes make no such mention, and probably the 
. 
wings were all I wanted*- the bird for anyway. I should say the a© 
acorns were of moderate size, and they had been swallowed whole, 
with shells unbroken-. 
What recalled this incident to my mind when talking with Dr* 
Townsend on the food of birds, was an item I had just read in some 
paper mentioning the curious habit of Blue Jays of swallowing nuts 
foroaaorns) whole.- The writer presented the query( which suggested 
itself to me on that afternoon twelve years ago ) does the Blue Jay 
disgorge the acorns and then store up a supply for winter^s use? 
I suppose that is merely a fancy as I do not know that a Blue Jay 
could crack an acorn if he wanted to* However that may be, the 
!£ 
