12 



TRAVELS ABOUT HOME 



which I have never heard from a solitary Jay, and is prob- 

 ably used for purposes of intercommunication. One fre- 

 quently hears it from a party of Jays when they are gather- 

 ing chestnuts or acorns. 



For ten seconds or more the discussion, if discussion it 

 was, continued, and at the end of this time a plan of battle 

 had evidently been decided upon, which they lost no time in 

 translating into action. They returned to the nest-tree, not 



" Placed them in a row on the limb of a neighboring pine tree " 



now a screaming pair of excited, frenzied birds which in the 

 control of an unheard-of experience had completely lost 

 their heads, but two determined, silent creatures, with a 

 seemingly well-fixed purpose. The difference in their ac- 

 tions, when the two visits to the nest were compared, was in 

 truth sufficiently impressive to warrant a belief in the birds ' 

 ability to grasp the situation intelligently. 



Without a moment's hesitation, one of the pair now se- 

 lected a perch above the Owl, paused only long enough to 



