Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-09-07

casts lifslcng slur on the character Of IN
innocent victim. Even 20 careful and az
ct writer - the late Major Bsndirs v
compelled 70 add, nom his strict sense
OF t7stice, thss Be had .nsvef caught .
blue ny in mischief. The writer's sx-
perienc. with this bird ID exactly parallel
with thas Of Major Bendire, and BE- y
therefore 10th to kslieve all the bad stories
that have been printed about the noisy,
handsome nv. In every village thers 70
some boy who 10 nc< bad st heart, but v
% full Of animal spirits and Lie that
Whenever an scs OF harmless mischief
10 pefpetrased il 10 Immediately charged to
him This 10 very much the cass with the
ny, .whose obtrusive actions attract
attention when other birds, equally
abundant, remain unncticed."
Probably the most accurate brisf ~
specting the blue jay's feeding habits
that has ever been written 10 By r. E. l.
Beal. A fsw extracts win show that much
that has bsen written will mot bsaf the
scrutiny OF exact scientific research.
After citing three cases Of neld obsefvsrs
Who NV blue Jays in the act Of sucking
eegs or taking young birds, Mr.. Beai
adds: sin view OF such explicit testi-
mony from observers whose accuracy can
not Be impsached, special pains have been
taken 10 ascertain how far the charges
were sustained BY q study OF the birds
food. An examination was made Of ma
stomachs collected in every month OF the
year from twenty-five states, the district
Of Columbia and Cansda. The real food Il
composed Of 3s.3 per cent. Of animal mat
ter and 1871 per cent. OF Vegetable matter.
The animal food 10 chiefly made up Of
insec9s, with . few spiders, myriapods,
snails and small veftebrates, such - Dab,
salamanders, tres-frogs, mice and birds.
Everything was carefully examined which
might BY any possibility indicate that
birds or Eggs had been eaten, bot remains
Of birds were found only in two, and the
shells OF small birds egg In three Of the
IN seomschA One OF thess, taken on
February 10. contained the bones, ciaws
and . little akin OF . birdS foot. An
other, taken on June ~, contained re-
mains OF young bird. The thres stom-
schs With birds eggs we're collected in
June, August and October. The sheil
eaten In October belonged to the egg Of
some larger bird like the ruined grouse,
and, considering the time Of the year,
vss undoubtedly merely m empty shall
from an cid nest. Shells OF eggs which
were Identified - those of domestic fowls,
% soue bard Of equal sire, we're found In
eleven stomschs collected at irregular times
during the year. This evidence would
seem to show that more eggs OF domestic
fowis than Of Wild birds are destroyed, but
IL 10 much more probable that thcse shells
we're obtained from refuse hesps about
farmhorses.
ITO reconcile such contradictory evil
demo 10 certainly dificui,, but II seems
evident thai these ness-rohbing propsn-
sites are not 30 general Is has been here
tofore supposed II this habit were q
prevalent ~ some writers have asserted,
and II it we're true that eggs and young OF
smaller birds constitute the chief food Of
the blue Jay during the breeding season.
the small birds Of any section where Jars
are fAsriy abundant would be in danger OF
determination Insects are eaten in every
month in the year. The great bulk con-
sisss OF beetles, grsnhoppers and cater
psilArs- The average fog the year 10 .
per cent, b1i in August Il reaches 6s per
cent Three-fourths Of the blue jay's food
consists Of Vegetable matter, q per cent. OF
which consists Of .'nast'', under which ars
grouped lAfIe seeds OF trees and shrubs,
such - scorDs. ehes,nuts, bsechnuss,
chinquapins. and ,rse others. Blue jayy
prefer mast to cora. or indeed any ether
vegetable food. for they eat the greatest
amount At time when fruit, grain and
ether things are most abundant, The
blue Jay gathers lie fruit from nature,
orchard and vineyard. and not from
mans; corn 10 the only vegetable food for
which the farmer su5ers any loss, and
here the damage 10 small. In tact. the
examination OF nearly 30 s,omachs shows
that the blue Jay certainly does far more
good than harm"
The blue Jay has an extensive rsne~.
being found in eastern North America a.
far north ~ latitude Sc, and, casually. q
httie ta1her; II extends westward TO
About i0 west Longitude, in Assiniboia.
and south to about 81 west Longitude, in
northern Iexas. II breeds Throughout its
range but in winter most northern
birds move southwark. In Florida, and
along the Gulf coast TO southeastern Texas
there Is siishtiy smaller racs, but the
ordinary observer viii not BE- sbls 70 note
any diSsrence. The nesting places vary
very greatly a. TO kind OF trees selected
and po&ision in the tree. sites may b.
found in coniiers and also in deciduous
frees, and even in shrubbsry. rhe nest il
usually bulky, bat coznpctiy buils
OF twigs, bark. moss, leaves and ysrious
AbtsTtt