Our Talented Blue Jay. 
O.&Q. Vlil. Oct. 1883. p. 7^ 
Blue Jays have appeared in great numbers around farm; 
bouses in this vicinity, probably because of a scarcity of 
food in the woods. I succeeded in catching one, Jan. 29th, 
weakened by long fasting, and have him in captivity now. 
His principal food is meat, beechnuts and corn while con-: 
fined, and he is lively and apparently contented, sometimes 
giving vent to one of his shrill screams, or exercising his 
powers of imitation, which are admirably developed. W. 
E. Jenkins, Northwood, N. H. 
O.&O. IX. Mar. 1884. p, 3(0 
Billy first saw the light of day in the 
spring of 1892. He had left the nest before 
being captured, but soon became accustomed 
to cage life and a diet of boiled potato and 
bread and milk. 
About midsummer he began to show the 
results of good training. His whistle often 
brought the dog to the back door when he 
was not wanted. It is the dog’s duty to 
keep the hens off the lawn, but he often 
sleeps while on duty, — a “ shee,” “shee,” 
from anyone in the kitchen always had the 
desired effect. Billy never slept during the 
day and his “ shee,” “ shee ” was as ef- 
fectual as a human one. He never would 
utter these notes unless the hens were on 
the lawn or a team was passing by. His 
setting the dog on teams was a trick we 
could not appreciate. 
Little Frank, 1 2 years old, reported at the 
house several times before he found that 
Billy’s “Whank, Whank” had enticed him 
there. When Frank started for school 
Billy’s “ Whank gon cool,” was spoken so 
plainly that any stranger would know what he 
said. In the afternoon his flying back and 
forth through his cage, calling “ Whank, 
Whank,” was a sure sign of the little fel- 
low’s being in sight. 
His singing, like the canary, was as good 
as going to the Howard Atheneum. To cut 
a long story short, he was a perfect mimic. 
He would imitate almost any noise, only to 
be forgotten when the noise ceased. 
But such pets are usually fated to come to 
some sad end. A friend, early in February 
1893, desiring to increase my family of 
Screech Owls, brought me one securely ( ?) 
caged in a wooden box. He was at liberty 
in the morning and our Billy was dead in 
his cage. ’Tis needless to say that Mr. 
Scops quickly joined him over the river. 
Was this bird anything out of the ordi- 
nary? Would another be as interesting a s 
he ? I shall try another next season and 
you may hear from me again. 
A. W. Morse. 
n.jer_n.VaL.ia„Mar.l893 p.44-45 
765. A Surprised Blue Jay. By S. H. L. Ibid., p. 88. (Fiom 
the Germantown ‘Telegraph.’) 0, & 0- Yoi.VIIS J 
477. The Blue Jays. By Charles Aldrich. Ibid ., XV, p. 904. — A 
permanent resident at Webster City, Iowa (!), and believed to have been 
seen feeding their young early in May. JLXU QTq N&tiQJv&iiSfij* 
1661. The Blue Jay. By Olive Thorne Miller. Ibid., Vol. LXI, No. 
364, Feb. , 1888, pp. 266-270.— H abit s in captivity. AtlanWo 
1471. Strange Behavior of a Blue Jay. By A. A. Hinkley. Ibid., 
No. 5, May, 1886, PP . 33,3 4. B and, Notes Nsft- Hjg a l|i 
Young Oologist. IS33- A Singular Duel. By C. B. Wilson. Ibid., No. 7 
p. 98. — Between a Blue Jay and a Sharp-shinned Hawk. 
lAUleP, Natoralis#? 0 - Our Social Blue Jays. By Charles Aldrich. Ibid., XV, p 
Blue Jays Tame. Last Spring I took a 
brood of young Blue Jays and have two 
of them matured and perfectly tame and 
interesting pets. They have their freedom, 
going in and out at will, spending a good 
deal of time hunting through the orchard. 
They have greatly increased my respect 
for the species, which I considered my duty 
to kill at sight, for their weakness of rob- 
bing other birds. — J. N. Clark , Saybrook. 
Birds of Dead Siver Region, Me. F.H. 0. 
60. Cyanocitta eristata, (Blue Jay). This species 
was as noisy and self-assertive as evei, in this 
wilderness. In spring it kept more to the woods, 
where they were to be met with in jovial bands 
of a dozen or more, although it was in the breed- 
ing season, when well regulated families should 
be in pairs. In latter summer they were very 
gregarious, keeping in large flocks, and they pre- 
sented a very pretty sight when flitting about 
some forest edge, apparently discussing matters of 
moment to their interest. Their nests were found 
in June and were placed at a considerable height 
in the spruce and hemlock, and resembled the 
well known type of this species. 
El 
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O.&O. XI. Nov. 1886. p. 161 
Brief Notes. 
2 
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R. H. Carr took a Blue Jay at Brockton, 
Mass., with mandibles crossed. He claims 
that it is a Crossbill. 
0.&O.V01.17, May 1802 p. 79 
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