130 IN THE MIDDLE COUNTRY. 



the presence of none but large birds, who could 

 defy him. 



One of the prettiest sights about the pine-tree 

 homestead was the way the jay went up to it. 

 He never imitated the easy style of his mate, 

 who simply flew to a branch below the three that 

 held her treasure, and hopped up the last step. 

 Not he ; not so would his knightly soul mount 

 to the castle of his sweetheart and his babies. 

 He alighted much lower, often at the foot of the 

 tree, and passed jauntily up the winding way that 

 led to them, hopping from branch to branch, 

 pausing on each, and circling the trunk as he 

 went ; now showing his trim violet-blue coat, 

 now his demure Quaker-drab vest and black 

 necklace ; and so he ascended his spiral stair. 



There is nothing demure about the blue jay, 

 let me hasten to say, except his vest; there is 

 no pretension about him. He does not go around 

 with the meek manners of the dove, and then let 

 his angry passions rise, in spite of his reputation, 

 as does that " meek and gentle " fellow-creature 

 on occasion. The blue jay takes his life with 

 the utmost seriousness, however it may strike a 

 looker-on. While his helpmeet is on the nest, it 

 is, according to the blue jay code, his duty, as 

 well as it is plainly his pleasure, to provide her 

 with food, which consequently he does ; later, it 

 is his province not only to feed, but to protect 



