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stealthy raids in trees, etc., with murderous designs 

 in their hearts, and of this the other birds are well 

 aware, hence their cries of distress and defensive 

 actions in order to save, from ruin, their fragile eggs 

 and half-fledged young. 



THEY KNOW THEIR ENEMIES. 



These several species of tree-inhabiting and insect- 

 devouring birds, previously referred to, certainly are 

 not prompted by the Jay's superior size to give him 

 battle when he visits their domiciles. If they are why 

 is it that they do not pitch into the Turkey Vulture 

 which often comes in their midst? It is, kind reader, 

 because years of experience has proven that the Jay, 

 like some members of the genus homo, arrayed in fine 

 dress and with insinuating ways, is a despoiler of 

 homes, while, on the other hand, the life of the Turkey 

 Buzzard is one of honesty, though extremely disgust- 

 ing and filthy. 



IS MR. JAY A FEATHERED JEKYL AND HYDE? 



I am disposed to believe after learning how natu- 

 ralists — all of whom are undoubtedly thoroughly hon- 

 est and sincere — differ in their statements of the good 

 or harm which the Jay does, that this bird may be 

 like the changeable Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, or per- 

 haps he is sometimes not unlike the servant of that 

 hunted Huguenot refugee Sier de la Tournoire, Blaise 

 Trepault by nnnie. in the play entitled "An Enemy to 

 the King." This lackey at times, as the plot goes, 

 fairly overflows with honeyed words, kind acts and 

 godly sayings, to the great pleasure and benefit of 

 his hearers; but at other times, he suddenly changes, 

 as it were, into a hideous monster attired in showy 



