/. H. BOWLES. 141 



one drilled by the bird herself) still in my collection and 

 prize them far more than my complete set of nine. I have 

 noticed this habit in the Bob White {Colmus virgifiianus) ; 

 although, I admit, the evidence is purely circumstantial. In 

 a large percentage of nests containing eggs of the Yellow- 

 billed Cuckoo {Coccyzus americcmus), if the nest is once 

 examined, the eggs will be gone when looked for the second 

 time. 



The special instinct of self-preservation is also very strong 

 in many birds. The well known habit of the Crow {Corviis 

 americajius) of never, according to the farmers, coming within 

 range when a gun is at hand, is probably the most generally 

 known. It is, however, certainly not the most entertaining, 

 as few things have so much fascination for me as watching 

 a Black Duck {Anas obscurd) approach a " blind " of which 

 it is suspicious. Always watchful and on the alert for the 

 slightest danger, it will frequently, if swimming, rise from 

 the water and, flying high over one's head, peer down and 

 discover its danger. 



Another instance occurred to me the other day while 

 shooting Woodcock {Fhilohela minor). My dog accidentally 

 flushed the bird while ranging in the bushes. Upon hearing 

 its rising twitter, I stood motionless and was both surprised 

 and pleased to see it alight within 15 feet of me. It walked 

 a short distance parallel to me and then, suddenly catching 

 sight of me, squatted on the ground, at the same time spread- 

 ing its tail and curling it over its back in the manner of a 

 Wren. If I had come upon it suddenly without seeing the 

 performance I should have thought it a curled up dead leaf, 

 for a more perfect resemblance I have never seen. 



The Jay family seems to be a shrewd one throughout, for 

 the Long-crested Jay {Cyanocitta stelleri macrolopha), of the 

 more mountainous parts of Colorado, rivals the Crow in his 

 dislike for gun-bearing persons, and, at the same time, pos- 

 sesses more boldness and cunning. A Jay w^ill come and 

 feed from a dish set out for the cat ; and when puss comes 



