FAMILY Corvide. 
and deserve ‘‘special mention.” His blue is of the 
ultramarine order diluted with white; that color 
distinguishes his upper parts; crest conspicuous and 
a deeper blue; a black band crosses the breast and 
continues upward on the sides of the neck joining on 
the back of the ‘head ; under parts subdued, gray-white, 
whiter on the throat above the black band; forehead 
black ; wings and tail beautifully barred with black and 
white, the intermediate light ultramarine blue grading 
to a cold steely tone; tail feathers broadly tipped with 
white—all except the middle pair. Female similarly 
marked. Nest, of rootlets and twigs compactly inter- 
woven, the finer ones serving as a lining ; the latter is 
never composed of soft material. Egg, pale olive brown, 
or pale olive green, plentifully sprinkled with cinnamon 
brown. 
The Blue Jay is also a robber. He not infrequently 
attacks other birds engaged in nest-building, drives 
them off, and finishes the job to his own liking. The 
following lines, taken from the Chicago Tribune, con- 
tain more truth than poetry : 
‘¢ With twigs and strings and other things 
The Robin builded it strong, 
And as he plaited them into shape — 
He carolled a cheerful song. 
*¢¢ Why so busy?’ the Jay Bird asked. 
‘What are you doing, pray ?’ 
‘I suppose,’ said the Robin, ‘I’m building a nest 
For you—you blooming Jay !’” 
The advent of a horde of Blue Jays, about the middle 
of July, in the vicinity of my studio in Campton, means 
a general dispersion of all the song birds for the time 
being. There is at once a rumpus in the old orchard, 
and a continual flash of blue wings in the sunlight; 
many little brown wings, too, take flight to return ne 
more. A squalling, cat-like 
CONE TREN 
y y 
44 
