Cyanocitta cristata. Lake Umbagog, Maine. 1895. At 7 A.M. a flock of 17 Blue Jays started from the woods Sept.21. on the Point and rose to a height of fully 2000 feet going up in a spiral course of about half-a-mile in width and making only one and one half turns during the ascent. They then started off towards the south-west flapping steadily until they faded out of sight in the distance. An hour later a flock of fourteen came over the Point at a height of about 200 feet and setting their wings came huriling down precisely like those seen yesterday. The sound they made was so loud that Jim Bernier who was lying in his tent came running out thinking, as he said, that a flock of Sooters must be pitch- ing down into the lake. I am puzzled by these evolutions. What do they mean? Apparently the flock of 17 were starting on migration. Did some of them return or were the 14 birds another lot? If the latter why should one flock start on mi- gration and another end a journey at nearly the same hour? On all these occasions the Jays, unlike migrating Crows, have been severely silent. Not a single scream did I hear either morning.