Lake Umbagog, Ivlaine. 
Cyanocitta oristata . 
1895. At 7 A.M. a flock of 17 Blue Jays started from the woods 
Sept.21. on the Point and rose to a height of fully 2000 feet going up 
in a spiral course of about ha-lf-a-mile in width and making 
only one and one half turns during the ascent. They then 
started off towards the south-west flapping steadily until 
they faded out of sight in the distance. An hour later a 
flock of fourteen came over the Point at a height of about 
200 feet and setting their wings came hurtling down precisely 
like those seen yesterday. The sound they made was so loud 
that Jim Bernier who was lying in his tent came running out 
thinking, as he said, that a flock of Scoters must be pitch¬ 
ing down into the lake. E am puzzled by these evolutions. 
What do they mean? Apparently the flock of 17 were starting 
on migration. Did some of them return or were the 14 birds 
another lot? If the latter why should one flock start on mi¬ 
gration and another end a journey at nearly the same hour? 
On all these occasions the Jays, unlike migrating Crows, have 
been severely silent. Not a single did I hear either morning. 
/v 
