82 



Little bluebirds have blue backs and brownish breasts, 

 like their parents but, like all members of the thrush fam- 

 ily to which Bluebirds belong, they have spotted breasts 

 and more or less spotting on their backs. This plumage is 

 lost at the first moult and they become just like their par- 

 ents. 



Bluebirds do not always nest in hollow trees or fences; 



Fig. 71. BLUEBIRD. 



many a boy or girl has a little bird box built expressly for 

 their use, and they are very glad to use them if English 

 sparrows can be kept from pestering them. They also 

 sometimes build in very odd places as can be seen by the 

 photographs of the nest in the sleeve of a scarecrow. 



Blue Jay 

 Blue Jays always seem like old friends to me. I have 

 seen a great many of them under all conditions of life. I 



