Mohave County miner., 1890-10-04
sARAcgp BIRDS.
now Horse Was set Upon bya ouartsa
Of Blue Jays.

Of Blue Jays.
Along ono sido Of j Held bn thS
Meyers farm. Says a Lancaster (Pa.1
correspondent Of the N. Y. Sun, there
Is thick growth high and strong.
Many kinds Of small birds hnd this
thicket most favorable for their nest
Ing places, and in the spring cattle aud
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 nunia
Der Of cattle, among them two bay
horses The farmer was working ID
4 field, not far from The ,hieket, when
he heard blue Jays making more noise
than usual even with these noisy
birds. Looking 10 ft sec what the
trouble might be. he saw four blue
jays engaged IN q fierce assault on one
Of the horses. They were darling at
him from all sides, pecklng at his face,
striking him 10 the neck and sides and
about the head. In q manner thai Was
evidence enough that the horse had
ofended them Ia, some aggravated
way The POOR horse ran flrss bnt
way and then another 10 escape the
fury Of the excited birds, but be was
headed OF whichever way hs turned
by the birds dashiug fercely In his
face and assaIling him with beak and
claw. Fearing that the sharp-billed
and persistent Iays would blind the
horse, the farmer hurried 10 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 aud followed him
for long distance making ifeahent
tiescents upon the horses body, and
inflicting blows that made him vince
and jump as II be were being deeply
prodded With spur. The farmer led
tho horse 20 the other side Of the field,
and the birds returned, 10 tho thishet,
where they held d noisy consultation
ut d particular spot, and seemed 10 be
In great tribulatlop.
To discover II possible what had
aroused the extreme anger OF the blue
Jays against the horse ihe farmer
walked over 70 the thicket, and at the
spot where the elamor OF the laws was
so great he found the dead bddHes Of
three newly hatrhed blue Jays. The
old birds circled about him furiously
moment and then dashed away across
the field 10 where the horse had re-
sumed its feeding and renewed their
attack on him. The farmer hurried
back TO the protection Of the horse
again The poor animal was dashing
frantically about, while the birds
pecked and struck him at every vnl-
nerable point. The farmer reseiied
the horse the second time and the
birds flew back 10 the bushes. Every
time the horse was left to himself, how
ever the blue jays would renew the
attack on him aud the owner Of the
horse was II last compelled to take the
animal back 10 the barn. The iays
made no attack on the other horse,
which was feeding not far from the
thicket.
The next day the horse that had ex-
cited the animosity Of the blue Jays
was turned Id tho lot again, bot he
had not been there only short time
when the birds discovered his presence
aud attacked him as fercely as they
had the previous day.. aud be was
taken home. A road passed on the 9TH
er side of the thicket aud Is constantly
travelled by teams. The second day Of
the attack Of the JAYS on the bay horse
he was hitehed up to drive TO a neigh.
boring village on the road mentioned.
As he was being driven past the thieket
he was set upon by blue jays again,
and the result was that the driver
could not hold him and he ran away,
breaking the wagon to pieces and en-
dangering the life Of his driver. As
this state Of affairs if continued PROM
ised to be disastrous 10 the farm and
the farmer the offending jays have
been hunted down and shot. The only
explanation that can be given OF this
eumity Of the blue jays against the
horse Is that while he was browsing
along the edge OF the thicket be pulled
down branch on which a family Of
blue jays had their nest aud shook the
young ones out Of tho nest to the
ground. The jays and neighboring
jays sought revenge upon the despoiier
of this nest hence the bitter and unre-
lenting fight they made upon him.