TALKS WITH YOUNG OBSERVERS 291 



mostly those of robins, that were to be seen 

 lying about on the ground here and there. 1 

 supposed every boy knew where most of these 

 egg-shells came from. As soon as the young 

 birds are out, the mother bird removes the frag- 

 ments of shells from the nest, carrying them in 

 her beak some distance, and dropping them here 

 and there. All our song-birds, so far as I 

 know, do this. 



Sometimes, however, these shells are dropped 

 by blue-jays after their contents have been 

 swallowed. The jay will seize a robin's egg by 

 thrusting his beak into it, and hurry off lest he 

 be caught in the act by the owner. At a safe 

 distance he will devour the contents at his lei- 

 sure, and drop the shell. 



The robins, however, have more than once 

 caught the jay in the act. He has the reputa- 

 tion among them of being a sneak thief. Many 

 and many a time during the nesting season you 

 may see a lot of robins mob a jay. The jay 

 comes slyly prowling through the trees, looking 

 for his favorite morsel, when he is discovered 

 by a vigilant robin, who instantly rushes at him 

 crying, "Thief! thief! " at the top of his voice. 

 All the robins that have nests within hearing 

 gather to the spot and join in the pursuit of the 

 jay, screaming and scolding. 



The jay is hustled out of the tree in a hurry, 

 and goes sneaking away with the robins at his 

 heels. He is usually silent, like other thieves, 

 but sometimes the birds make it so hot for him 

 that he screams in anger and disgust. 



