BY THE WAYSIDE 
45 
SCHOOL BRANCH DEPARTMENT. 
Every Wisconsin School Branch is required to subscribe for at least one copy of BY THE WAYSIDE 
Letters for this department should be written on 
only one side ot the page, should give the name, age 
and address of writer, and should be mailed by the 
first of the month; Illinois Children sending to Miss 
Ethel E. Hooper, 541 N. State St., Chicago, Ill., and 
Wisconsin Children to Miss Ruth Marshall, Appleton 
W isconsin. An honor badge will be awarded for 
each state every month, pre erence being given to 
letters about the bird study for the month (which is 
always on this page), and to original observations. 
Any child who wii s the honor badge twice will re¬ 
ceive By The Wayside one year as a prize. 
The wren button, which is the badge of the Audu¬ 
bon Society, costs two cents, and may be bought 
from Miss Hooper or Miss Marshall. 
Any Wisconsin School Branch may, without ex¬ 
pense, have the use ot the Gordon and Merrill Lib¬ 
raries of bird books, by applying to Miss Edna 
Edwards Librarian, 845 Prospect St., Appleton. 
A set of colored bird slides with a typewriter lec¬ 
ture may be rented from Prof. W. S. Marshall, 114 
E. Gorham Street, Madison, Wis. 
Illinois Schools mav use. without expense, a libr¬ 
ary or a lecture with lantern slides, by applying to 
Mrs Ruthven Deane, 504 N. State St., Chicago. 
BLUE JAY. 
“Eastern North America to the Plains, and 
from the Fur Countries South to Florida and 
Eastern Texas.” This is the summary of 
the land inhabited by the blue jay. Such is 
th'e distribution assigned to this, one of the 
gayest of birds, both in dress and tempera¬ 
ment. 
What an example of adaptability! For the 
blue jay lives in all parts of the country, 
where he is to be found throughout the year. 
Such a diversity of environment starts at 
once a chain of speculation almost fantastic. 
Were he like man, how varied would be, for 
instance, his dress! The Fur Countries, the 
great land about Hudson Bay, suggest Eski¬ 
mo-like habiliment; “Eastern North America 
to the Prains,” would necessitate seasonal 
changes of garments; and the southern re¬ 
gions would persume a wardrobe wherein light 
and gauzy materials would largely figure. Yet 
our blue jay dons his suit of blue and white, 
with some black decorations, and wears it 
with seeming comfort over the whole area. 
The language of these blue-crested beauties 
changes with the many conditions that sur¬ 
round them in their countless homes, built 
from the wilds of Canada in almost every 
square mile of country till they reach the land 
of orange and pine. 
Personally, I have had the pleasure of mak¬ 
ing the acquaintance and even the friendship 
of these jolly birds in many localities, and I 
have always been struck with 1 what a widely 
different attitude this bird seems to regard 
man under varying conditions. 
t rom my relationship with blue jays out-of- 
doors, and a greater intimacy established with 
those who are members of the bird family in 
my laboratory, I am inclined to believe that 
they are not only sincerely affectionate, but 
their disposition toward other birds in general 
is a kindly one. 
•Wh'ile certain characteristics seem to be 
common to all blue jays, a greater familiarity 
with them will sustain the assertion that they 
have much individuality. They are great 
mimics, frequently deceiving one by the ex¬ 
cellence of their efforts. Attracted by dis¬ 
agreeable or harsh noises, the result is often 
comical. I knew one in the woods, living in 
the vicinity of a lumber camp, who delighted 
and amused himself by hours with simulating 
the sound of a coarse saw hewing it way 
through the wood.— Wm. E. D. Scott , in the 
Outlook. 
Headers of By the Wayside are invited to 
send in letters about the blue jay. It is par¬ 
ticularly desired that answers be given to this 
question, “Is the blue jay helpful or harm¬ 
ful to man?” Letters should reach the edi¬ 
tor before January 1. 
PRIZES AND BADGES. 
The Illinois prize letter for th'e month is 
from Clifford Lindberg. The Wisconsin badge 
is won by Rosetta Ball. 
THE SECRETARY’S LETTER. 
Dear Wayside Boys and Girls: 
I have read of a pretty custom in Norway 
which I wish we might introduce into Wiscon¬ 
sin and Illinois. At Christmas time the child¬ 
ren have a tree out-of-doors for the birds. 
Instead of toys and candy, th’ey load it with 
all kinds of things which tl\e birds like to eat 
—suet, crumbs and seeds. The last number of 
“Bird Lore” tells the story of a family 
in New York who tried this kind of a tree 
