208 KEELER 



than this one of the smallest known birds, no larger than 

 a fair sized moth, yet with strength, endurance, and in- 

 telligence to travel up and down the greater part of the 

 North American coast line, pressing close upon the train 

 of early spring, awaiting only the blooming of the wild 

 currant in California and the salmon berry farther north, 

 to venture upon his perilous way! His whole make-up 

 is of fire. It shows upon his burnished helmet and gorget, 

 and flashes with every turn of his alert head ; it appears in 

 the warm rufous of his back and sides, and more than all 

 else in the daring spirit that can achieve such wonders! 

 All hail to thee, little pioneer! You explored the wilder- 

 ness centuries before the birth of Bering, Cook, or Van- 

 couver; you answered the beckoning blossoms and fol- 

 lowed them into whatever forest halls they summoned 

 you, even upon the very threshold of the ice king's do- 

 main! May the two white dots of eggs in thy felted 

 cradle reward thy toil, and may thy whole family of in- 

 trepid nomads escape the dangers of their southward 

 journey! 



Steller's jay is one of the characteristic birds of the for- 

 ested coast regions of the Northwest. It is noisy and 

 showy, constantly obtruding its presence wherever the 

 traveler may tarry, although its marked preference for the 

 vicinity of man was frequently noted. It is a big crested 

 jay with sooty black head and back, deep blue-black 

 barred wings and tail, and a paler blue breast. He is a 

 rollicking fellow with a loud voice, saucy manners, and 

 eminently social habits. 



During our short stay at Wrangell we found birds more 

 numerous than at any point previously visited. Species 

 that had enlivened the forest-covered shores wherever we 

 had landed were here in abundance, and in addition there 

 were many well-known friends we had been accustomed 

 to associate with more southern latitudes. Barn swallows 



