168 
CANADA JA Y. 
fall of snow during the night and the ground was covered with a white mantle. The 
early morning found me following an old logging road through the woods. The branches 
of the trees which met over my head were bending with the weight of snow that lay 
upon them, while the smaller undergrowth was completely enshrouded. Thus I was entire¬ 
ly surrounded by masses of glittering white which not only prevented my seeing the sky 
overhead, but also excluded any extended view on either hand. I was some miles from 
the nearest settlement; thus not a living thing was in sight and not a sound broke the 
stillness, when at once I was somewhat startled by hearing a most peculiar note. A few 
days before, two of us had chased a lynx through this very section and I was certain 
that the noise was made by one of those animals for it was a kind of mew not unlike that 
given by the wild cat. This sound was repeated several times, followed by a low mur¬ 
muring and, as I remained perfectly quiet, the author of these peculiar notes approached 
nearer when I was enable to discover that it was a Canada Jay. Then another appeared 
and still another until I was surrounded by quite a flock of them. They were all vocifer- 
ateing loudly as if surprised at seeing a human being in such a lonely spot but they were 
not in the least shy as they came within a few feet of my head in order to examine me 
critically. I have always found these birds tame in the section remote from settlements 
but in the more cultivated districts they soon become wild. Thus I found them very 
difficult to approach at Bethel, Maine, where they occur in winter and where they are 
frequently shot. 
This latter named point is about their southern range in winter, but on one occasion 
I saw an individual in Newtonville. This was in early summer some four years ago and 
I was walking through the streets of the village accompanied by a friend, when I observed 
a bird flying over a vacant lot pursued by two or three Robins. It was flying very slow¬ 
ly as if weary and, coming directly toward us, alighted panting on the sidewalk with¬ 
in a few yards of our feet. I instantly went forward and recognised it as a Canada Jay. 
The poor bird was so completely dazed with fright, that I nearly caught it in my hands, 
but, as I stooped to take it up, it flew into a neighboring garden taking refuge in some 
ornamental evergreens where we followed and endeavored to capture it; but it always elud¬ 
ed our grasp then, after recovering somewhat, flew away over some house tops and was lost 
to our view. How this stranger came so far from its home, especially during such warm 
summer weather, remains an unsolved mystery, nor did I ever hear of this particular Jay 
again. 
In comparing the flight of the three Jays of which I have spoken, I find that that of 
the Blue Jays is the strongest, and they frequently fly long distances; the Florida Jays 
are inclined to sail more, especially when moving across a short space and they seldom go 
far at one time; while the Canada Jays are the poorest flyers of them all usually sailing 
about through the trees and seldom leaving the woods in order to taking a prolonged flight. 
They are very agile among the trees, however, hopping from limb to limb with great ra¬ 
pidity and when anxious to conceal themselves will manage to accomplish it in an exceed¬ 
ingly short time. They aie said to breed in February placing their nests in evergreen 
trees, thus the young appear in early spring. 
