AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 261 



about the door in the Spring, their shyness was so far overcome that 

 they became accustomed to our presence. In the Spring one came in to 

 the shed where it was easily caught, handled gently and released. This 

 seemed not to alarm it for it remained near, and two pairs of these 

 birds built their nests and reared their young near the house. One of 

 the old birds finally became so fearless that she allowed a boy to 

 climb to the nest and take her in his hand. On being released she did 

 not fly away but quietly returned to the nest and settled on it. The 

 Jays were not molested during the Summer and were given refuse 

 grain and meat during the Fall and Winter. 



They had, by this time, so increased in number that six nests were 

 built in the Robin roost last spring. Here they would have little dil^- 

 culty in rearing their young were it not for the gray and red squirrels 

 which have also increased in number. These animals have a well 

 known fondness for the brains of young birds. Three pairs of gray 

 squirrels and a larger number of the red species now inhabit the robin 

 roost to the great worriment of both Jays and Robins. The Jays are 

 fond of Robin's eggs. So fond indeed that although some thirty nests 

 of Robins have been built near the house each year, less than twenty 

 young birds have reached maturity. 



All through the season the shells of Robin's eggs could be found 

 about the place with holes showing where the sharp bills of the Jays 

 had perforated them. Very often indeed the "stop thief" of the Robins 



w... ^L. 



Photo from life. 

 SEARCHING THE HEAVENS FOR FOOD. 



was heard as they chased the dashing intruder, who strove to make 

 good his escape with an ^^^ on his beak. Although the Jays and 

 Robins had many fierce battles they always joined forces against the 

 common enemy. Thus six or eight of them might often be seen mak- 

 ing desperate eft'orts to drive a squirrel away from a nest. Although 



