THE BLUE JAY 



substantial foundation, and studies of it could be made from a 

 step-ladder. All the material used was the color of the bark of 

 the tree and the nest was quite neat for Jays. It was shaded by 

 masses of wild grape-vines and Mother Jay was serenely brood- 

 ing when I found her. The first thing was to get the Jays accus- 

 tomed to my presence in the orchard, and then try for studies of 

 the gaudy brooding bird. 



So I sat down under a rambo just across the fence from the 

 elm and studied Jay character. Before finishing with those birds 

 I found that they had character in plenty, but of a kind scarcely 

 compatible with the peace of other birds. Sooner than I expected, 

 the racket Father Jay made at my intrusion ceased, no doubt be- 

 cause he was too busy protecting his mate from the Hawks of the 

 woods to bother with me ; so I moved closer. 



I had hard work to concentrate my attention on the Jays, de- 

 spite all a series of such well-known and characteristic birds would 

 mean to me, for to the Lark's call and the Sparrow's lay were 

 added the notes of the Killdeer down at the creek, the scream of 

 Ganders busy guarding their feeding flocks, the gobble of the 

 Turkey-cock from the dooryard, the boasting of the big Brahma 

 Rooster over by the barn every time a Hen came out and an- 

 nounced that she had laid an egg, and June at her prime was 

 oozing from all the earth, air and sky. 



The thing which caught and fastened my attention on the 

 Jays was when the male suddenly screamed, "D'jay! D'jay! 

 D'jay !" and then gave almost an exact imitation of a Hawk's cry. 

 Looking up I saw one of those great birds sweep from the woods 

 across the orchard. Right there the Jay paid the farmer his 

 "keep," and in a measure atoned for his meanness to other birds; 

 for at his warning every chick of the Yellow Dorking catching 

 grasshoppers in the orchard took to cover with never a cheep; 



