162 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



as I have studied the Jays at short range, the present pair did some- 

 thing that was new to me. On coming to the table they would first 

 swallow a few small walnut kernels, then pack others, which were a 

 little too large to swallow, back in their throats, causing them to puff 

 out like stuffed sacks; after which, selecting larger and larger frag- 

 ments, they filled their bills from gape to tip, their mandibles being 

 pressed far apart. They then flew away to hide their supply in various 

 niches of the trees, presently returning for another relay. 



Several times, while they were on the roof, some one stepped out 

 upon the porch below, or conversation was heard there, when the Jays 

 hopped to the edge of the roof, peered over slyly, and sometimes 

 called in a challenging way, to make sure, perhaps, that no gun was 

 being pointed at them. The Jays have had enough experience to know 

 that not all persons are harmless. 



Occasionally they become courageous enough to place broken shells 

 under their claws on the table and extract the goodies; but as a rule 

 they filled their bills as quickly as they could, and flew to the neigh- 

 boring trees to eat or hide their sweets. One day one of them tried to 

 swallow a kernel that was too large for his throat. What do you 

 suppose he did then? He carefully laid it at one side of the pile, bolt- 

 ed a number of smaller bits, then picked up the first fragment and flew 

 away with it. This was done with every evidence of intelligent calcu- 

 lation. On bitter days the Jays' feet would get cold; so they would 

 squat down on the edge of the table and warm them with their thick 

 blanket of feathers. 



The absences of the Jays were sometimes unaccountable. For 

 instance, on Jan. 29th, they came to the table in the morning before 

 their breakfast was spread for them. Finding nothing, they evidently 

 took their departure for the day, for, though kernels were at once 

 placed upon the table, the blue-coats did not return that day, and the 

 sparrows got every goodie. This occurred more than once throughout 

 the winter, and proves that the birds must have roamed far and wide 

 over the town and perhaps into the country, and had other feeding 

 places besides the one furnished at my table. Once or twice, for 

 various reasons, I did not put any food on the counter for a week or 

 more, in which case the birds did not seem to be in the neighborhood; 

 but they must have kept their eye on the porch roof, after all, for 

 almost always, shortly after I began laying the feast again, they would 

 come for supplies, and especially if I set the table early in the morn- 

 ing. 



A Downy Woodpecker, a female, I think, took kindly to a meat bone 

 and a piece of suet fastened on an apple tree in my rear yard, quite 



