The Steller Jays 



birds have observed the tedious operations of the gardener in planting, 

 and know precisely where the coveted tubers lie. Bright and early the 

 following morning they slip to the edge of the clearing, post one of their 

 number as lookout, then silently deploy upon their ghoulish task. If 

 they weary of potatoes, sprouting peas or corn will do. Or perhaps there 

 may be something interesting at the base of this young tomato plant. 

 And when the irate farmer appears upon the scene, the marauders retire 

 to the forest shrieking with laughter at the discomfitted swain. Ay ! there's 

 the rub! We may endure injury but not insult. Bang! Bang! 



As a connois- 

 seur of birds' eggs, 

 too, the Steller Jay 

 enjoys a bad emi- 

 nence. The suffer- 

 ers in this case are 

 chiefly the lesser 

 song birds; but no 

 eggs whatever are 

 exempt from his 

 covetous glance, if 

 left unguarded . 

 The jay has be- 

 come especially 

 proficient in the 

 discovery and sack- 

 ing of Bush-tits' 

 nests. Mr. D. E. 

 Brown assures me 

 that he has found 

 as high as fifteen 

 nests of this bird in 

 a single swamp, all 

 gutted by jays. 

 When it is remem- 

 bered that these 

 busy little workers 

 make one of the 

 handsomest nests in 

 the world, the 

 shame of this piracy 

 gets upon the 

 nerves. The in- 



Taken in Fresno County Photo by the Author 



A HAUNT OF THE LONG-CRESTED JAY 



6 9 



