534 
THE STORY OF THE BIRDS . 
the crow family. They are the most familiar of Indian birds. The nest is 
composed of fine twigs and grass, covered on the outside with cobwebs. 
The eggs, usually four in number, are white or salmon colored, with brownish 
spots. The drongo is frequently seen perched on the backs of cattle search¬ 
ing for insects. 
Military Macaw—The prevailing tint of this small bird is green; the fore¬ 
head is scarlet, the lower part of the back, the rump and upper tail coverts 
are blue, the four middle feathers of the tail are brownish red, tipped with 
blue. This macaw is twenty-seven inches in length and ranges from Mexico 
to Peru. 
Blue and Yellow Macaw—In this bird the upper plumage, wings and tail 
are blue, the under parts yellow, a black patch on the throat and a grass 
green crown on its head. It ranges all over tropical America. Ernests in 
hollow trees and its eggs, usually two, are about the size of those of the 
hen. From the first streak of dawn until it seeks its nest at night the 
macaw keeps up a constant screaming, and the clamor of a large flock is 
almost deafening. 
White-Necked Humming Bird—This bird is distinguished from all the 
members of its family by a broad band of white feathers on the back of the 
neck, a broad fan-like tail, edged with white. 
Crested Humming Bird—The crest of this bird is less pointed than in De 
Lande’s humming bird; its color is metallic purple, shading off into golden 
and green. The sides of the head and throat are black. Its general color 
is a shining grass-green. 
Jay—The jays are closely related to the crows. The beak is short and 
compressed, and the feathers on the crown of the head are long and capable 
of being erected. They make a harsh cry, and are given to scolding other 
birds, or any person that comes near their nest. The jay is the thief and 
vandal of the bird-world, and delights in destroying the nests and eggs of 
other birds and their feeble fledglings. On the ground, the jay proceeds'by 
hopping instead of walking. There are many varieties of the family, the 
most familiar of which is the crested blue-jay of North America and Mexico. 
Some of the species are beautifully colored. 
Nutcracker—The nutcrackers are well marked in form and color. They 
are of a chocolate-brown, more or less spotted with white. The European 
nutcracker shown in the illustration inhabits northern and central Europe, 
northern Asia, China and Japan. Its eggs are pale bluish-white, thickly 
spotted with olive-brown. One of its notes is a peculiar gurre, gurre, and 
