were collected in June, August and October. The shell eaten in October be- 

 longed to the egg of some larger bird like the ruffled grouse, and, considering 

 the time of the year, was undoubtedly merely an empty shell from an old nest. 

 Shells of eggs which were identified as those of domestic fowls, or some bird of 

 equal size, were found in 11 stomachs collected at irregular times during the year. 

 This evidence would seem to show that more eggs of domestic fowls than of wild 

 birds are destroyed, but it is much more probable that t-hese shells were obtained 

 from refuse heaps about farm houses. 



Insects are eaten in every month in the year. The great bulk consists of 

 beetles, grasshoppers and caterpillars. The average for the year is 23 per cent, 

 but in August it reaches 66 per cent. Three-fourths of the blue jay's food con- 

 sists of vegetable matter, 42 per cent of which consists of "mast," under which 

 are grouped large seeds of trees and shrubs, such as acorns, chestnuts, beechnuts, 

 chinquapins, and some others. Blue jays prefer mast to corn, or indeed any other 

 vegetable food, for they eat the greatest amount at a time when fruit, grain and 

 other things are most abundant. The blue jay gathers its fruit from nature's 

 orchard and vineyard, and not from man's ; corn is the only vegetable food for 

 which the farmer sufifers any loss, and here the damage is small. In fact, the 

 examination of nearly 300 stomachs shows that the blue jay certainly does far 

 more good than harm. 



Their nesting places vary greatly as to kind of trees selected and position in 

 the tree. Sites may be found in conifers and also in deciduous trees, and even 

 in shrubbery. The nest is usually bulky, but compactly built of twigs, bark, moss, 

 leaves and various other materials. A set of eggs varies from 4 to 6. 



As parents, blue jays are patterns. Whatever may be their reputation re- 

 garding the young of other birds, there is no question regarding their extreme 

 solicitude for their own offspring. 



The blue jay's popular screams are "Jay," "D Jay" and "Thief" — ^all of which 

 he speaks plainly and these signals guard the field and forest from hawk, owl, 

 crow, squirrel, etc. 



WE THANK THEE 

 For flowers that bloom about our feet; 

 For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet ; 

 For song of a bird, and hum of bee ; 

 For all things fair we hear or see. 



Father in heaven, we thank Thee! 



For blue of stream and blue of sky; 

 For pleasant shade of branches high ; 

 For fragrant air and cooling breeze ; 

 For beauty of the blooming trees. 



Father in heaven, we thank Thee! 

 — Ralph Waldo Emerson. 



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