T °l's^ VI ] WARREN, The Canada Jay. j j 



The mother bird often tried to enter the nest, but was unable 

 to, as I kept the eggs warmly covered while trying to get my 

 camera into position. The expression of anxiety in her dark 

 eyes will never be forgotten, nor could I longer endure the sight 

 of discomfort I was giving these helpless creatures. Repairing 

 what damage I had done as well as I was able, I gave up this 

 part of my plans and waited with great eagerness for the appear- 

 ance of the young birds. The last egg was hatched at 5 p. m. 

 April 4, and fortunately being on hand to assist in freeing the 

 bird from the shell, I pocketed the two pieces and afterwards 

 rudely fastened them together. Before descending, I noticed 

 that there were but three young birds in the nest, the other hav- 

 ing fallen from the nest, perhaps when the mother bird had 

 hurriedly flown away. I found the naked youngster in the ice 

 and snow at the foot of the tree; tenderly picking it up, it was 

 replaced with its fellows and was alive and seemingly well on my 

 visit two days later. The period of incubation had been between 

 seventeen and eighteen days. 



After the young were a few days old the camera was again 

 brought into play and two negatives taken. These were made 

 from a point further up in the tree and looking down into the nest, 

 which gave it a flattened appearance. In the first picture the 

 hardy young birds were dozing in the sunshine, while the mother 

 bird watched my movements, half suspiciously, and finally left the 

 nest after the exposure was made, returning from the opposite 

 side, where she was joined by the male who had come with food 

 for the nestlings. I made a snap shot (Fig. 2) when the sun was 

 slightly obscured by a cloud, as I wished to get the two birds 

 feeding the young together, and chances were few. On the 15th 

 four more exposures were made, but at this time I had fastened 

 the camera on a projecting support at n point a little higher than 

 the nest and so close that the front was scarcely four feet from 

 the birds. The results were much better on account of the in- 

 crease in size. The weather at this time in the spring was so 

 unfavorable that no more pictures could be taken ; otherwise a 

 few very interesting scenes could have been added. 



The food given to the young was always in a soft, partially 

 digested state, and was placed deep in the mouths of the young 



