14 



THE OOLOGIST 



Then, as if by commoa consent, both stop 

 as suddenly as they had commenced, 

 and after sliiftiiig about and moving a step 

 or two upon the limb, they both commence 

 their rival songs anew. A person passing 

 near, even though naturally disinterested, 

 cannot fail to notice this extraordinary pro- 

 ceeding. The rival songsters do not long 

 remain in one place, but shift hurriedly to 

 some other locality to continue their vocal 

 competition. 



The Purple Finch breeds in suitable lo- 

 calities throughout most of northei-n United 

 States. It nests in the tops and thicker 

 portions of small fir, hemlock and spruce 

 trees, — seldom in other situations — and a- 

 bout the first of June lays four or five briglit 

 greenish eggs, spotted on the larger end 

 with deep umber and black. The eggs 

 greatly resemble those of the Chipping 

 Sparrow, but are larger and in general 

 more eulongate. It seems as if many of 

 these birds did not pair during some sea- 

 sons nor nest all, for they have frequently 

 been observed to continue flocked late into 

 June and even July, and, like the Crossbill, 

 to keep within the bounds of a certain dis- 

 trict for a considerable length of time. And 

 in reality, there is usually little interest 

 manifested by the parents for the welfare 

 of the eggs or young, and the nest is con- 

 structed much of the time upon the pro 

 tempore principle. 



The Jay of the North; Canada 

 Jay. 



TVrHAT tourist to the North Woods of 

 '^ New York or the forests of Maine is 

 there, who has not seen the. Canada Jay, 

 and remarked its habits ? The Blue Jay is 

 noted, one might say almost the world over, 

 for its sociable habits and thievish propen- 

 sities, and what is a])plicable to this biid, 

 is applicable to the Canada Jay, a plain, 

 unpretending bird, the last which one would 

 suppose to be possessed of such habits. 

 Perhaps they may, in some instances, be 

 likened to the prairie wolf or cayote, though 



a strict comparison would be very unjust 

 to the Jay. They wander about and hunt 

 in troops of from four to twenty or moi-e, 

 preferring the deep woods to the open, tho' 

 conducting themselves toward man as if 

 taught by instinct that they are free from 

 molestation. They are seldom known to 

 be shy, and witiiout hesitation apply at the 

 camp of the sportsman, usually early in the 

 morning, in quest of the appetising bits ly- 

 ing about, a sufficiency of which it rarely 

 fails to obtain. Its nest and eggs are es- 

 pecial desiderata, but they are likewise ex- 

 ceedingly difficult to find ; it is thought 

 that they breed far north, in Canada and 

 Labrador, and it is also probable that they 

 may be found bi'ceding in numbers in se- 

 cluded portions of the Adirondacks and 

 mountains of Maine, where the footsteps 

 of man are seldom or never found. Still, 

 sportsmen and naturalists have seen them 

 in the month of July, in accessible portions 

 of northern New York, which points to the 

 probability of their breeding in the neigh- 

 borhood of civilization. It may, as it has 

 been remarked by some observers, nest 

 very early, at the same time with the Cross- 

 bill, numbers of which are seen in June in 

 portions of northern New York. It is 

 spoken (jf as probably breeding on the high 

 mountains of the north-west, in the vicini- 

 ty of the timber line. 



Their presence is indicated usually by an 

 unmusical note, more resembling a croak 

 than any other sound that can be described. 

 But few moments have elapsed before al- 

 most every object about the camp has been 

 scrutinized, and every available crack pried 

 into. As one man would hail another in 

 the wilderness after a long absence from 

 home, the Canada Jay greets the new ten- 

 ants of a camp, as if they were wek'ome 

 companions long since departed, and which 

 it were a pleasure to see again, l-^^earless- 

 ly they take liberties with camp fixtures ; 

 and the provisions or game that have been 

 left within reasonable reach are at the first 

 opportunity pounced upon with avidity. 

 Those who, for the first time, intrench 

 themselves for a summer's stay in the Ad- 



