THE WAYS OF JAYS 



11 



sequent actions seemed strongly to indicate that they had 

 mentally grappled with this wholly unexpected problem 

 which had so suddenly confronted them, and, after due con- 

 sultation, had reached certain conclusions upon which they 

 acted. In any event, the incident serves well to illustrate 

 the ease with which one uses the human parallel in describ- 

 ing the conduct of animals, from the point of view of the 

 sympathetic observer eager to recognize human traits in 

 bird and beast — indeed, to claim kinship with them. 



In this particular instance the Jays had already thorough- 

 ly aroused my interest, and it needed little imagination to 

 put myself in their 

 place and conjecture 

 my own actions if, with- 

 out a moment's warn- 

 ing, I should see the 

 ogre of my tribe, a 

 creature whose power 

 experience had taught 

 me to fear, standing at 

 my threshold. That I 

 should for a time lose 

 my self-possession and 

 perhaps call aloud in 

 alarm, would seem 

 wholly natural, and in 

 view of the superior 



strength and armament of the enemy, it would also be ex- 

 pected that I should consult the partner of my joys and sor- 

 rows, and now companion in arms, as to the most expedient 

 method of conquering this intruder without undue risk. 



Be this as it may, after flying about the nest-tree for sev- 

 eral minutes in the wildest and most aimless, and excited 

 manner, the birds deserted the place and retired to the 

 woods. Then I heard them uttering for the first time the low, 

 conversational eck, eel;, erf;, note of their kind It is a note 



Screaming- in alarm " 



