254 



IN 



a point, for it must be remembered that it is the 

 country that decides the bird's habits, and not 

 that the latter are a stereotyped feature of the 

 country. The same people may dwell among 

 the hills and upon the sea-coast, but how differ- 

 ent are the mountaineer and the 'long-shore man ! 

 Concerning birds, the difficulty lies in the fact 

 that so many people, even naturalists, are too 

 little concerned with birds' ways, and rest con- 

 tent with a mere knowledge of their names. I 

 once attended, with a prominent naturalist, an 

 ornithological meeting. There were a score of 

 bird-men present, and very soon they fell to egg- 

 measuring ! My companion fell asleep ! 



But what of the flock of blue jays ? 



They had not long to wait for clearing 

 weather. Soon the sun shone brilliantly, and Na- 

 ture for a brief hour wore a strange garb. Many 

 a tree was yet green, many were brilliant with 

 gold and crimson, and all were flecked with 

 masses of glistening snow. It was a splendid 

 spectacle, a swiftly fading pageant, that, like a 

 glowing sunset, is remembered long after it has 

 passed away. And how the lively blue jays re- 

 joiced at the return of the sunshine ! " Now for 

 the oak woods again ! " I could hear them scream, 

 even though so far away ; and sure enough, one 

 after the other came trooping back to the same 

 trees whereon they had sported when the snow 



