CORVUS 0SS1RFAGUS. 
161 
spect, they never visit the nests excepting in the absence of their owners. The Crows are 
. always on the alert, however, and when a nest is left unguarded, even for a moment, they 
will dart into it, plunge their beaks through the shell of the eggs and carry them away. 
I once found a nest of a Fish Crow built in a low tree which was completely surrounded 
by the shells of Cormorant’s eggs, each of which was emptied through a hole in the side. 
There was a rookery on a neighboring island and the Crows spent their time in flying about 
it, frequently returning with an egg. Whenever we visited a heronry or Cormorant rookery 
the Fish Crows had a fine time, for, evidently understanding what we were after and know¬ 
ing that the parent birds would* retreat before us, they came in numbers and, as they were 
not shy, would always manage to obtain their share of the eggs. Indeed upon one occasion 
they carried away all the eggs from a heronry, consisting of upwards of a hundred nests, 
in an hour’s time. 
Of the three species of this genus which occur in Eastern North America, the Raven is 
the least active, the gravest and the heaviest flyer; next, as an intermediate, comes the 
Common Crow; while the present species represents the other extreme, being full of nervous 
activity, flying with a quicker motion of the wings, and seldom sailing. They also stop 
suddenly and will wheel as readily in the air as a Red-winged Blackbird. They move in 
straggling flocks and as they go utter the ha-ha which, although not much lower than that of 
the Common Crow, has such a peculiar intonation as to be recognizable at once. They mi¬ 
grate constantly through the winter,, and large numbers often pass a given point, thus I 
have seen them flying for several hours over the Everglades. At such a time, if I shot one 
and it fell where its companions could see it, they would hover over the spot, then circle 
about, vociferating loudly, often coming within a few yards of my head. They appear to 
select particular spots as roosting places, generally in swamps, to which they return before 
sundown and depart after sunrise. These Crows breed about the first week in April, fre¬ 
quently in communities but I have found single nests. The structures are very large for 
the size of the bird and are placed in trees. Taken all together the Fish Crows can scarce¬ 
ly be considered as useful birds but they are decidedly characteristic of southern maritime 
scenery, and many a barren reach of sea-board is enlivened by their enegetic movements 
and quaint cries. 
I have spoken of the Fish Crows as inhabitants of the sea-shore, but I have also found 
them on the rivers in the interior of Florida and judge that they occur on large bodies of 
fresh water some distance from the sea, yet think that in winter they are by far more nu¬ 
merous along the coast. I have seen them as far north as Norfolk, Virginia, as late as 
the tenth of November, but they were migrating then, yet it is possible that some remain¬ 
ed all winter. 
GENUS II. CYANURUS. THE BLUE JAYS. 
Gen. Ch. Bill, stout and conical , a little shorter than the head which is crested. Wings, about equal in length to the 
tail which is well rounded. Sternum, well proportioned. Marginal indentations equaling in depth the height of the heel. 
Size, not large. 
The prevailing color, above at least, is blue which, with the crested head, renders the species in this genus conspicuous. 
The wings are usually barred with black. 
BIRDS OF FLORIDA. 
21 
