70 WESTERN SERIES OF READERS. 



no bird for breakfast, so he sits down to canned 

 codfish or chipped beef. Ten to one, the jay is 

 there before him, hidden in the tree above his 

 head, and waiting for the crumbs. Blue jays are 

 very fond of the company of hunters. There are 

 scraps of food always about the camp. 



It is a fact that when in camp the average 

 hunter does not shoot at the jay. He likes to 

 have the bird about in the lonely woods for com- 

 pany. These curious birds are seen to slip under 

 the flap of the tent and carry off crackers, or 

 meat, or cheese. And one jay was seen to steal 

 the mush from the kettle while it was cooking, 

 nor did it seem to burn its mouth. Sometimes 

 they take things they have no use for, and hide 

 them, as if from pure mischief. 



It may not be all in kindness to the birds that the 

 jay warns them of an intruder. The fact is, he 

 likes to have the smaller birds about him to sup- 

 ply his needs. Jay likes eggs, and how could his 

 market be supplied without the birds? No one 

 knows just how many eggs the jay eats for his 

 breakfast, unless it be himself. Probably he de- 

 stroys as many as he eats. The helpless spurred 

 towhee stands by and lifts its beautiful wings and 

 pleads with blue jay to leave "just one"; but to 

 no purpose. When he is done, he flies away, 



