164 NEWS FROM THE BIRDS. 



been caught napping on tlie sparrow question. 

 "How many of you know tlie bluebird from 

 the blue jay ? " Quite a number of hands went 

 up. 



"Name some of the points of difference," 

 was the next proposition. Promptly came one 

 answer, " The jay has a crest and the bluebird 

 hasn't." Then other responses rang out in 

 quick succession : " The jay is much the larger 

 bird;" "The wings and tail of the jay are 

 spangled with white, which is not the case with 

 the bluebird ; " " The bluebird has a brick-red 

 breast ; " " Their bills are very different," etc. — 

 all of which proved that the lads had been 

 making distinctions whether they had been 

 conscious of it or not. 



When I asked the boys whether the small 

 birds performed their migratory journeys in the 

 daytime or at night, the quick response was, 

 " In the daytime ; " an error that had to be cor- 

 rected. The correction created not a little sur- 

 prise, and no doubt some of the urchins felt 

 skeptical about the truth of my statement. 

 Of course, the proofs had to be forthcoming. 

 What were they ? 



1. You may often hear the chirping of the 

 feathered voyagers overhead at night during 

 the migrating season. 



