ORNITHOLOGY 



323 



■ crow's caw. All too quickly their first 

 charm goes from these early sounds, and 

 our ears must undergo a certain pro- 

 cess through another winter before 

 they will again stand the test. 



Again, the humble crow, the obscure 

 nuthatch, the chickadee and the black 

 and white woodpeckers, are the true 

 prophets of spring ; they, too, are with- 

 out honor in their own country. Other 

 birds "ask a sign ;" they must see vis- 

 ions and get hints from earth and sun, 

 which Aery hints and visions our pro- 

 phet birds have long" foretold. 



The Long Crested Jay. 



LY H. A. ROGERS, POGASA JUNCTION, COLO. 



Among our feathered winter guests, 

 the long crested jay, Cyanocitta Stclleri 



male are of a very dark blue, almost 

 a black, which shades on the breast 

 and posterior part of the body into a 

 grayish, indigo blue, while the tail and 

 wings are mostly of the dark coloring". 

 Between the eyes of the male there is 

 a grayish white line on either side, and 

 a shorter line above each eye. 



The female is much the same in gen- 

 eial color but of a lighter hue, being 

 quite plain and modest in her dress. 

 She does not w r ear an elaborate hat nor 

 possess the facial expression given by 

 the wdiite lines in the male. 



They are so very shy and nervous 

 that, to capture them with the camera 

 requires endless patience. It was only 

 by operating the shutter from within 

 the house through a long rubber tube 



SOME GOOD STUDIES OF THE LONG CRESTED JAY 



Diadcmata, receives the most hearty wel- 

 come in the late fall, and leaves the deep- 

 est regret when he goes to the higher 

 altitudes in the early spring. 



They are the most beautiful bird in- 

 habiting" the Rocky Mountains. Their 

 size is about that of the robin. In 

 color, the head, crest and neck of the 



that photographs were secured. Al- 

 though we have fed them for several 

 winters, they are still suspicious, and 

 even the faint click of the shutter sends 

 them into a panic. So long as the food 

 could be carried away, patience on our 

 part availed nothing, but by making up 

 a cake of corn meal, bread crumbs and 



