166 



WILD ANIMALS OF GLACIER NATIONAL PAEK. 



In winter, Mr. Gibb told us, the handsome birds have come to his 

 ranger cabin for food, getting so tame tliat if tlie door were left 

 op&n they would come inside. 



Rocky JNIountain Jay: Perisoreus cajiadeiisis Gap'italls. — The big 

 flutfy camp bird, or lumber jack, when met with in the park was 

 sometimes on guard, slipping through the tree tops and sailing- 

 down across an open si:)ace with short wings and long tail outspread in 

 absolute silence, but when off guard it flew about giving vent to its 

 feelings in a most surprising variety of loud, strange calls. The 

 hunter who names the jay " moose bird " complains that " he bothers 



tograpli by E. I 



Fig. 09. — Rocky Mouulaio jay. 



a fellow stalking game — get^ up in a tree and bawls you out — every- 

 thing in the countiy knows you are around." Where game has been 

 killed, as Mr. Higginson says, the jays seem to gather like buzzards 

 to feed off the meat, becoming so tame they will allow a close ap- 

 proach. They have been found storing food by Dr. Grinnell, putting 

 it in moss near the ends of branches of tall firs and spruces. 



In winter Mr. Gibb has had these familiar friends of the forest 

 come to his ranger cabin, where they became so tame and persistent 

 that it was hard to keep the coveted meat from them. They got so 

 expert that they could piy off the lid of a granite bucket and, chat- 

 tering while they worked, actually untied the knot in a string with 

 which Mrs. Gibb had fastened on tlie lid. 



