1897 
October 
October 
28 The Carolina Rail seen yesterday was in the same 
place this morning. Indeed, it spent the entire day 
there, walking slowly back and forth over a space of only 
a few yards square, keeping most of the time under some 
button bushes but occasionally venturing out on an open 
space of bare mud. Why it should stick to such a place 
with the great expanse of grass meadows directly opposite 
is a mystery. Its tameness was even more surprising for 
two of my men were at work all day within less than twenty 
feet of the bird and at times they made a great deal of 
noise, hammering at some large stones which they were 
laying. This Rail is a rather peculiar-looking specimen, 
for its bill is dark greenish and its plumage more than 
ordinarily marbled, with white on the back and sides. 
29. As I was standing near the cabin this noon, I heard 
the ordinary whistling call of the Canada Jay given five 
or six times near at hand in the maples by the canoe landing. 
Of course I was greatly excited, feeling sure that at last 
I was to see a Perisoreu s in my Concord woods. But when, 
a moment later, the bird hopped out into clear view on a 
leafless branch, it proved to be a Blue Jay . It gave the 
call two or three times more while I was looking at it 
and then flew across the river. Evidently it must have 
been a migrant from some more northern region where Canada 
Jays abound. Only once before have I heard the Blue Jay 
mimic this cry — at Pine Point, Lake Umbagog two or three 
years ago. The imitation given to-day was simply perfect. 
