74 Birds of Lakeside and Prairie 



were deposited, one more than I had ever before found in a 

 jay's nest. Mother Jay staid on the nest continuously for 

 fourteen days with the exception of a few short trips for daily 

 bread. On the fourteenth day the young jays ought to have 

 been poking their heads through the shells. They didn't 

 poke. Mrs. Bluejay kept on sitting. Eighteen days had 

 passed and then the husband began to plead with his mate in 

 the few soft notes which he could command. He asked her 

 to leave the nest, but she paid no heed. Three weeks were 

 up. Young jays that occupied a nest whose foundation had 

 been laid many days later than that of the fir tree home, were 

 feathering out and clamoring for food. This fact was duly 

 called to the attention of Mrs. Jay by her husband. She 

 wouldn't budge an inch. He made many trips to and from 

 a laden cherry tree, carrying his spouse specimens of the finest 

 fruit and telling her there were thousands more like them on 

 the tree. There was found one female who was proof against 

 the fruit temptation. Five days more passed, and the devoted 

 sitting bird looked tired and seedy. Her husband, who 

 throughout the ordeal had confined himself solely to melliflu- 

 ous pleadings, now got mad. He flew to a perch a foot 

 above his sitting mate, cocked his head on one side, looked 

 down at her, and with marked emphasis and significance 

 uttered the one word, "Jay." Sarcasm won and Madame left 

 her nest and six eggs for good and aye. After the desertion 

 of the nest I took it down and broke the eggs. They were 

 dried up and showed no signs that incubation had advanced 

 beyond a day or two. 



One or two of my experiences makes me bold to say that 

 I believe the birds are much hardier creatures than generally 

 is supposed. It is something of a journey from our middle- 



