MORE ABOUT MY FEATHERED FRIENDS. 83 



folks have turned into the more familiar sound of 

 " Whiskey John " or " Whiskey Jack." 



This daring bird comes of a doubtful race, not very 

 distantly related to the jays, crows, magpies and some 

 other noisy and not altogether reputable characters, and 

 is himself a sort of freebooter, not famed for his strict 

 regard for the rights of meum and tuum. In the words 

 of an old Hudson Bay trapper, he is " a nateral-born 

 thief." 



He is, indeed, a free-and-easy sort of fellow. When 

 not stealing he is as full of idle mischief as a school- 

 boy, nor has he any beauty of appearance to make up 

 for his bad qualities. 



My first acquaintance with these, to me, strange birds 

 commenced at the house of my hospitable friends, the 

 Stewarts, of Auburn, where I was always a welcome 

 guest. 



On one occasion my husband and I were detained 

 there for two days by a very heavy snow-storm and 

 subsequent high winds and deep drifts. 



After breakfast Mr. Stewart opened a window which 

 faced the river below the house, the rapid Otonabee, at 

 that time bounded on the opposite shore by a dense 

 forest. 



Immediately on a signal whistle being given, a pair of 

 " whiskey jacks " flew across the river to the open 

 window. Mr. Stewart had previously placed a small 

 board, with one end resting on the window sill and the 



