BLUE JAY. 
255 
branches of the cedar, are scarce heard at a few paces 
distance; but he no sooner discovers your approach 
than he sets up a sudden and vehement outcry, flying 
off, and screaming with all his might, as if he called 
the whole feathered tribes of the neighbourhood to 
witness some outrageous usage he had received. When 
he hops undisturbed among the high branches of the 
oak and hickory, they become soft and musical; and 
his calls of the female a stranger would readily mistake 
for the repeated screakings of an ungreased wheel- 
barrow. All these he accompanies with various nods, 
jerks, and other gesticulations, for which the whole 
tribe of jays are so remarkable, that, with some other 
peculiarities, they might have very well justified the 
great Swedish naturalist in forming them into a sepa- 
rate genus by themselves. 
The blue jay builds a large nest, frequently in the 
cedar, sometimes on an apple-tree, lines it with dry 
fibrous roots, and lays five eggs of a dull olive, spotted 
with brown. The male is particularly careful of not 
being heard near the place, making his visits as silently 
and secretly as possible. His favourite food is chestnuts, 
acorns, and Indian corn. He occasionally feeds on bugs 
and caterpillars, and sometimes pays a plundering visit 
to the orchard, cherry rows, and potato patch ; and has 
been known, in times of scarcity, to venture into the 
barn, through openings between the weather boards. 
In these cases he is extremely active and silent, and, if 
surprised in the fact, makes his escape with precipita- 
tion, but without noise, as if conscious of his crimi- 
nality. 
Of all birds he is the most bitter enemy to the owl. 
No sooner has he discovered the retreat of one of these, 
than he summons the whole feathered fraternity to his 
assistance, who surround the glimmering solitaire , and 
attack him from all sides, raising such a shout as may 
be heard, in a still day, more than half a mile off. When, 
in my hunting excursions, 1 have passed near this 
scene of tumult, I have imagined to myself that I heard 
the insulting party venting their respective charges 
