BIRDS AT YULE-TIDE 239 



the harsh cry of a jay came through the still air, 

 and as I brought my glass to bear on the visitor 

 I expected to recognize the gay plumage of the 

 crow's festive cousin. The bird in focus was 

 no jay : that was clear at first glance. It was 

 shorter than a blue jay by two inches or more ; 

 it was not blue, and its head was not crested. 

 Presently another bird of the same species joined 

 the first comer, and the two sat quietly in the 

 bare tree, doing nothing. Far away a flicker 

 called, and then in the pines the clear phoe-be of 

 the titmouse came like a whiff of perfume. One 

 of the strange birds dropped suddenly to the foot 

 of the tree, and began moving over a broad snow 

 bank which lay in the shadow cast by the wall 

 and a bunch of privet and barberry. The snow 

 was sprinkled with the winged seeds of the ash, 

 and the bird picked these up one by one, neatly 

 freed each seed from its membrane, and swal- 

 lowed it. 



While the bird remained in shadow she looked 

 gray ; but whenever the sunlight struck her, rich 

 olive tones glowed upon her head, back, and 

 rump, while traces of the same coloring showed 

 upon her breast. Beautiful water - markings 

 rippled from her neck downward over her back. 

 Her wings were dark ashy gray marked by two 

 white wing bars and white edgings to the stiff 

 feathers, and under each eye a white line was 



