Telegram-herald., 1890-06-29
THEY SOUGHT REVENGE.
Glue Jays Furiously Attack q Hone Tha
broke Up Their Nest.

broke Up Their Nest.
Along one side of q field on the Myers
farm there is thick growth of bushes,
some OF which grow high and ssrong,
says 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 a number of cattle, among them two
bay horses. The farmer was working n
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 a fierce assaulton one of the
horses. They were darting at him from
all sides. pecl1iDg 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 assailiag
him with bcak 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 infuriatec birds
hovered about and followed him for a
long distance, making frequent dcscents
upon the horses body, and INJECTING
blows that made him vince and jump as
il 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 10 be in great tribulauon.
To discover, II possible, what had
aroused this extreme anger of the tlue
jays against the horse, the farmer
went over to the thicket, and at the
spot where the clamor Of the jays vas
so great be 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 renewed their attack On
him. The farmer hurried back TO the
protection OF his horse again. The poor
animal was dashing frantically about,
while the birds pecked AID 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 the owner OF
the horse was AZ last compelled TO take
the animal back TO the harm. The jays
made Nc attack on the other horse,
which was feeding noC far from the
thicket. The next day the horse that
had excited the animosiiy Of the blue
Jays was turned In the lot again, but he
had been there only short time wher
the birds discovered his presence and
attacked him as fiercclv as they had the
previous day. and he vas taken home
A road passes on TIE other side o
thicket and is constantly travelled b.
teams. On the second day OF the sttacl
OF the jays OF the bay horse be wa
hitched up 70 drive 20 a neighbOrinI
village on the road mentioned. As h'
was being driven pas the thiclSet b.
was set upon by blue avs again, and TIT
result was that the driver could not hold
him and he ran away, breaking th'
wagon 70 pieces, an endangering tn
life Of the driver. Is this state - AZ
fairs, n continued, promised - DO dis
astrOus % she farm AID the farmer. To-
offending jays have )een hunted dow
and shot. The only explanation tha
can Be given Of this snmity of the blu
Jaws against the horse il that while b.
was browsing along the edge q u
thieket be pulled down branch o'
which family Of blue Jays bad thei
nest and shook the younz ones o5t o
the nest % the ground The jays an
neaghboring jays sought revenge uIo
the desposler % This nest and hence th
bitter and an.eleoting fight they mad
p-on bfm