ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY 



27 



water and could find no way of getting it out. Mrs. M — 

 brought out a slice of bread, wet it with water, fished out the 

 bug and put it on the bread, and made the birds a bug sandwich. 



Mr. and Mrs. Red Coat are still living in the yard and no 

 doubt will spend the winter of 1921 — 22 on the porch with 

 their friends. 



In the yard where Red Coat and Madam Bronze lived a 

 tray of food was put every morning about half past five o'clock 

 on the top of a rose arbor. One morning the lady who fed 

 the birds was watching to see who would be the first to come 

 for breakfast. She saw three Bluejays fly from tree to tree 

 and finally reach the tray of food. All three lined up. One 

 was a baby jay who was just being taught to fly and eat. The 

 father and mother birds ate of the good soft bread dipped in 

 water, but the lazy little rascal would not eat. He would throw 

 back his head, open wide his mouth and flutter his wings, 

 begging them to feed him as they had done in the nest. They 

 scolded him and would not give him one bite. The father and 

 mother bird talked to each other, then they flew up into a big 

 sycamore tree, where they sat side by side. The baby sat by 

 the tray and cried and chirped until I think they felt sorry 

 for him, since that was the first time he had been in that 

 strange place. They both came back and one sat on each side of 

 him. First one fed him and then the other till he could eat no more. 



The next morning about the same time they came back. 

 The baby had been learning how to fly, and it took him only a 

 few minutes to reach the food. He acted just like some naughty 

 boys that I have seen at the table. The three sat in a row a- 

 round the tray and the baby bird would not eat. The father 

 father and mother scold- 

 ed and coaxed and 

 ate out of the tray so that 

 he would learn, but he only 

 threw back his head, opened 

 h i s mouth, fluttered his 

 wings, and squeaked. The 

 father and mother bird flew 

 up into the big sycamore, sat 

 there a few minutes, then 

 flew away and didn't come 

 back. The baby sat there 

 alone fluttering his wings 

 and opening his mouth until 

 he got tired, then all at once 

 he began to eat. After he had 

 eaten a good breakfast he 

 flew away into the trees. 

 Mrs. Howard J. Hamlin. 



Shelbyville Photo by A. A. Allen 



