THE CALIFORNIA JAY. 71 



leaving the pretty fragments all over the ground. 

 You may see them when you are taking a walk in 

 the woods, and wonder how they came there. 



In justice to blue jay, we should say that he is 

 no worse than the rest of us who like birds' eggs 

 for breakfast. The difference is, we take eggs 

 from the nest of a big tame bird we call "hen," 

 and cook them. Jay takes his eggs from smaller 

 birds, and eats them uncooked. 



The birds that have been robbed usually have 

 time to make another nest, and lay more eggs be- 

 fore winter; and they have better luck, let us 

 hope. Most of our birds do nest several times in 

 a season to make up for losses, you see. Sly little 

 chipmunk evens up matters with the jay when he 

 comes across a jay's nest in a tree. He, too, likes 

 eggs for breakfast. 



When nesting season is over, and there are no 

 more eggs for eating, chipmunk, and gray squir- 

 rel, and blue jay turn farmers for the public good. 

 These three friends of the Golden State plant 

 more seeds in a year than a hundred men could 

 plant in twice the time. And they do not ask a 

 penny of wages for their trouble. They simply 

 want a good time when the fruit and grain are 

 ripe. It is as if they say to our farmers, " If you 

 will let us have some of your crops, just our 



