TWO RASCALLY RELATIVES 135 



may be seen at dawn streaking across the sky to distant 

 beaches where they feed on worms, refuse, and small shell- 

 fish. More than one crow has been watched, rising in the 

 air with a clam or a mussel in his claws, dropping it on a 

 rock, then falling after it, as soon as the shell is smashed, to 

 feast upon its contents. 



With punctual regularity at sundown, the flocks straggle 

 back inland to go to sleep, sometimes thousands of crows 

 together in a single roost. Many birds have more regular 

 meal hours and bed-time than some children seem to care 

 for. Because crows eat almost anything they can find, and. 

 pick up a good living where other birds, more finical or less, 

 clever, would starve, they rarely need to migrate; but they 

 are great rovers. 



The Blue Jay 



Length — 11 to 12 inches. Larger than the robin. 



Male and Female — ^Blue above. Black band around the 

 neck, joining some black feathers on the back. Under 

 parts dusky white. Wing coverts and tail bright blue, 

 barred with black. Tail much rounded. Many feath- 

 ers edged and tipped with white. Head finely crested. 



Range — Eastern coast of North America to the Plains, and 

 from northern Canada to Florida and eastern Texas. 



Migrations — Permanent resident. Although seen in flocks 

 moving southward or northward, they are merely seek- 

 ing happier hunting grounds, not migrating. 



This vivacious, dashing fellow, harsh-voiced and noisy, 

 cannot be overlooked; for when a bright, grayish-blue bird, 

 about a foot long, roves about the neighborhood with a 

 troop of screaming relatives, everybody knows it. lu 



