1901 
arune .23 
robbed 
Jays 
9^01 
July 10 
« iK * ♦ * * ♦ 
I doubt if a single young bird of any kind has 
been reared on Ball's Hill this season. The Jays take all 
the eggs as soon as the sets are completed. Two of them 
made a raid through the woods immediately behind the cabins 
this morning, uttering a series of low hoc-hoc-hoc s as 
they sailed from tree to tree or hopped through the branches, 
peering under the clusters of leaves. They were closely 
followed by a mob of indignant and excited little birds — 
Redstarts, Red-eyed Vireos, Yellow Warblers, etc. All the 
nests that we have found have lost their eggs soon after 
they were laid. Among them have been t?yro nests of the 
Redstart, three of the Robin and'one of the Red-eyed 7ireo. 
A pair of Cat-birds who settled near the cabin 
were also despoiled of their eggs and went away for a 
week or more, but they have just returned. I have no 
doubt that the Jays are responsible for all this egg 
robbing. It was interesting to watch the smaller birds 
attack them this morning. They did not dare put themselves 
within reach of the Jays when they were in the trees, but 
they pursued them closely whenever they took wing and on 
overtaking them, which they did easily enough, pecked 
their heads viciously, evidently causing them much 
annoyance. 
I doubt if any of the birds which have nested on 
Ball's Hill this season (excepting, possibly, the Oven-birds 
whose nest, on the summit of the hill, had young nearly 
H 
