166 



WILD ANIMALS OF GLACIER NATIONAL PAKK. 



In winter, Mr. Gibb told us, the handsome birds liave come to Iiis 

 ranger cabin for food, getting so tame that if the door were left 

 open they would come inside. 



EocKY Mountain Jay: Perisoreus canadensis oapltalis. — The big 

 fluffy camp bird, or lumber jack, when met with in the park was 

 sometimes on guard, slipping through the tree tops and sailing 

 down across an open space Avith short wings and long tail outspread in 

 absolute silence, but when off guard it flew about giving A'ent to its 

 feelings in a most surprising variety of loud, strange calls. The 

 hunter who names the jay " moose bird " complains that " he bothers 



Photograph by E. R. AVarrpn. 



Fig. 



GO. — Rocky Mountaiu j;iy. 



a fellow stalking game^geta up in a tree and bawls you out — every- 

 thing in the counti'y knows you are around." Where game has been 

 killed, as Mr. Higginson says, the jays seem to gather like buzzards 

 to feed off the meat, becoming so tame they will allow a close ap- 

 proach. They have been found storing food by Dr. Grinnell, putting 

 it in moss near the ends of branches of tall firs and spruces. 



In Avinter Mr. Gibb has had these familiar friends of the forest 

 come to his ranger cabin, where they became so tame and persistent 

 that it was hard to keep the coveted meat from them. They got so 

 expert that they could pry off the lid of a granite bucket and, chat- 

 tering while they worked, actuallj^ untied the knot in a string Avith 

 which Mrs. Gibb had fastened on tjre lid. 



