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ently to attract your attention. The male 

 is perhaps the most conspicuously marked 

 of all the ground-birds except the bobolink, 

 being black above, bay on the sides, and 

 white beneath. The bay is in compliment 

 to the leaves he is forever scratchinji; amonir. 

 — they have rustled against his breast and 

 sides so long that these parts have taken 

 their color ; but whence come the white 

 and black ? The bird seems to be aware 

 that his color betrays him, for there are few 

 birds in the woods so careful about keeping 

 themselves screened from view. When in 

 song, its favorite perch is the top of some 

 high bush near to cover. On being dis- 

 turbed at such times, it pitches down into 

 the brush and is instantly lost to view. 



This is the bird that Thomas Jefferson 

 wrote to Wilson about, greatly exciting the 

 latteFs curiosity. Wilson was just then 

 upon the threshold of his career as an orni- 

 thologist, and had made a drawing of the 

 Canada jay, which he sent to the President. 

 It was a new bird, and in reply Jefferson 

 called his attention to a '* curious bird " 

 which was everywhere to be heard, but 

 scarcely ever to be seen. lie had for 

 twenty years interested the young sports- 



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