The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-07-10
THEY SOUGHT REVENGE.
aue Jays Furiously Attsck Horse That
Broke Up Their Nest.

2voSoys Furi0usly Attack Horse Thot
Broke Up Their Nest.
Along one side Of feld on the Myers
Farm there is thick growth Of bushes,
some Of which grow high and strong,
Deys the Lancaster correspondent Of the
New York Sun. Many kinds Of small
birds find this thicket most favorably
for their nesting places, and in the
spring cattle and horses that pasture In
the field browse on the sweet and tender
young foliage The owner Of the farm
turned in the field to pasture few days
ago number Of cattle, among them two
bay horses. The farmer was working in
the field, not far from the thicket, when
he heard blue jays making more noise
than is usual even with these noisy
birds. Looking up to see what the
trouble might be, he saw four blue jays
engaged in fierce assault on one Of the
horses. They were darting at him from
all sides, pecking at his face, striking
him in the neck and sides and about the
head In manner that was evidence
enough that the horse had offended
them in some aggravated way. The
poor horse ran first one way and then
another to escape the fury Of the ex-
cited birds, but he was headed of which
ever way he turned by the birds dash
ing fercely in his face and assailing
him with beak and claw. Fearing
that the sharp-billed and persist
ent jays would blind the horse,
the farmer hurried to his aid. Even
after he arrived on the scene and took
the horse by the name and led him
away from the spot, the infuriated birds
lowered about and followed him for q
long distance, making frequent descen Is
upon the horses body, and inflicting
blows that made him vince and jump as
If he were being deeply prodded with
spur. The farmer led the horse to the
other side of the field, and the birds re-
turned to the thicket, where they held
noisy consultation at particular spot,
and seemed to be in great tribulation.
To discover, II possible, what had
aroused this extreme anger Of the blue
jays against tho horse, the farmer
went over to the thicket, and at the
spot where the clamor Of the jays was
so great he found the dead bodies Of
three newly-hatched blue jays. The old
birds circled around him furiously mo-
ment, and then dashed away across the
field to where the horse had resumed
its feeding, and removed their attack on
him. The farmer hurried book to the
protection Of his horse again. The poor
animal was dashing frantically about,
while the birds pecked and struck him
at every vulnerable point. The farmer
rescued the horse a second time, and
the birds few back to the bushes.
Every time the horse was left to him.
self, however, the birds would renew
the attack on him, and tho owner OF
the horse was at last compelled to take
the animal back to the barn. The jays
made no attack on the other horse,
which was feeding not far from the
thicket. The next day the horse that
had excited the animosity Of the blue
jays was turned in tho lot again, but he
had been there only short timo wher
the birds discovered his presence ani
attacked him as .ferccly as they had tn'
previous day, and he was taken homo
A road passes on the other side o
thicket and is constantly travelled b,
teams. On the second day of the attacl
of the jays on the bay horse he wa
hitched up to drive to neighborin,
village on the road mentioned. AS h
was being driven past the thicket h
was set upon by blue jays again, and tn
result was that the driver could not hol'
him and he ran away, breaking tn
wagon to pieces, and endangering tn
life of the driver. AS this state of al
fairs, If continued, promised to be dis
astrous to the farm and the farmer, tn
offending jays have been hunted dow
and shot. The only explanation tina
can be given Of this enmity Of the blu
jays against the horse is that while h
was browsing along the edge Of tn
thicket he pulled down branch o
which family OF blue jays had thei
nest and shook the young ones out 9
the nest to the ground. The jays an
neighboring jays sought revenge upo
the despoiler Of this nest, and hence tn
bitter and unrelenting fight they mad