AUDUBON, John James (1785 - 1851).
Blue Jay, Plate 102.
Aquatint engraving with original hand color.
London: Robert Havell, 1827-1838.
37" x 25" sheet.

Comparables: Christie's, 2004 - $33,460; Arader Galleries, 2021 - $19,200.

"The Blue Jay is one of those birds that are found capable of subsisting in cold as well as in warm climates. It occurs as far north as the Canadas, where it makes occasional attacks upon the corn cribs of the farmers, and it is found in the most southern portions of the United States, where it abounds during the winter. Every where it manifests the same mischievous disposition. It imitates the cry of the Sparrow Hawk so perfectly, that the little birds in the neighbourhood hurry into the thick coverts, to avoid what they believe to be the attack of that marauder. It robs every nest it can find, sucks the eggs like the Crow, or tears to pieces and devours the young birds. " - Audubon's Ornithological Biography, 1831.