A Glimpse of the Birds of Berkeley, 



his coat of many colors adorn our 

 landscape ! 



I cannot speak of noisy birds with- 

 out recalling the jays, for they are the 

 noisiest, rollicking, happy-go-lucky fel- 

 lows that make their home in our 

 canons. They laugh and screech by 

 turns, they question and scold. Even 

 when on the wing they utter a succes- 

 sion of loud, insistent call-notes, and 

 upon alighting, mischievously question 

 in a shrill squeak " well? well? '' I am 

 speaking of the California jay, which is 

 the common species about Berkeley — 

 a long, rather slender fellow, without a 

 crest such as the blue-fronted jay of the 

 redwoods possesses. Its back is col- 

 ored blue and brownish gray, and its 

 breast is a lighter gray edged and faintly 

 streaked with blue. Its manners are 

 often quiet and dignified when sitting 

 still and eyeing an intruder, not without 

 a half scornful, half inquisitive glance, 

 I fancy ; but with a sudden whim it is 

 aroused to animation, flirting its tail, 

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