human character, shall we draw the inference that he really believed all men to 

 be devils, because he wrote "In a Vision of Sin :" 

 Mrtue — to the good and just 

 Every heart when sifted well 

 Is a clot of warmer dust 



Mixed wdth cunning sparks of Hell. 



Generalizations from a single inflividual or instance cannot fail to be unjust. 



The wTiter, after forty years of persistent observation and study of the jay, 

 having had an acquaintance that was cordial if not intimate with many individuals, 

 has utterly failed to find a particle of evidence going to prove that the jay family 

 is either destructive or in any way detrimental to bird life in general. On the 

 other hand, he has in at least half a dozen instances known them to nest in the 

 same tree with other birds, and to disturb neither eggs nor young; and, as a 

 matter of fact, jays seem to get along better with their neighbors than human 

 creatures do who live in small towns. 



Not content with the Scotch verdict of "not proven," I wish to give my per- 

 sonal opinion of the jay based on my own observation. I regard him as the most 

 wide-awake, up-to-date, and philanthropic citizen of the bird kingdom. To me 

 he possesses both knowledge and wisdom and my pet name for him is "Yorick," 

 "a fellow of infinite jest and most excellent fancy." He is no mean mimic under 

 certain circumstances, especially in captivity; and were any other bird to attempt 

 to tell him something new, I can fancy him yawning and going to sleep in church. 

 All the secrets of the woods are open secrets to him. The hawk, the red squirrel, 

 and the weasel resent his disposition to bring their deeds to light, and are about 

 his only enemies among wood folk. He seems to be aware of the fact that 

 humanity distrusts him, and he rewards our distrust, by still greater distrust of 

 us. Take a gun and dog and start for the woods, and a certain blue-coated police- 

 man is there before you to warn all living things against you. Let an owl secrete 

 himself in a cedar tree on the lawn, and it is the jay that spies him out before 

 the day is many minutes old, and summons all creation to help put him to rout. 

 Perhaps the best thing that can be said for the jay is that his bird neighbors 

 who have a right to know him better than human creatures, believe in his warnings 

 and rely on his protecting watch-care. Does it really not seem too bad that in 

 spite of his splendid self-reliance and ability to care for himself, if prejudice could 

 have its wav it would rob the world of its onlv bit of blue on sunless winter davs' 



The Bob- White (CnHnK.s I'lriiinlamis) 



By jolin j allies Aiuluhon 



I.cngth : 10 inches. 



Kange : l-",aslcrn United .States. ( ):Uari(). Maine to south Atlantic and (iulf 

 states, west to .South Dakota. Kansas and Texas. 



Xest, on the ground. I'.ggs, 10 to 26. usually about IS. 



141 



