THE BLUE JAY 



lunch ; but he always paused on a near-by tree and called back to 

 Mother Jay, "Fill the kittle! Fill the kittle! Fill the tea-kittle!" 



My feelings concerning the Jay are varied. I admit all his 

 bad traits, but there is in his favor the fact that he so perfectly 

 imitates the cries of several birds of prey that he saves many 

 of the woodland folk from Hawks; whether as many as he de- 

 stroys, I have no way to judge, but I think so. ( He is for ever 

 guarding the woods, and every bird of field and forest knows his 

 signals and heeds them, to that I certainly can testify; for, lying 

 in hiding, I repeatedly have seen birds take to cover at his warn- 

 ing when it took me some time to discover what was coming ; but 

 always he was a true prophet, for something came, either a hun- 

 ter, Hawk, Owl, Crow, squirrel, snake, or, near houses, some- 

 times a hungry caty 



These alarm cries are not pleasant, but that the wood-folk 

 heed them proves that they appreciate and are grateful for them. 

 He is a spot of brilliant color about our homes in winter when 

 birds are scarce, and his "D'jay, D'jay!" cry is a cheery and wel- 

 come sound, proving as it does that we are not altogether de- 

 serted. In courting he carries on a long, low conversation well 

 down in his throat and his tones are sweet and musical. Not only 

 do they use this sweet throaty murmuring in pairs when courting, 

 but throughout the season they congregate in small flocks and 

 have a Jay party. 



There is one big maple on the banks of the Wabash, beneath 

 which I have caught a few black bass, where the Jays for years 

 have gathered at intervals for one of their tree parties. At least 

 a half-dozen collect in the tree and perch near together. One be- 

 gins to chatter, jabber, chuckle and murmur. Another joins him, 

 then the whole company, then one continues alone, several more 



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