built their nest beside the steps of the Girls’ Parental School 
in a big city. If you chance to find the nest, what beggars 
they seem to be. How they tease you not to touch their 
- treasures, and not to do to them as they do to other birds! 
The little pleading cry then is very different from the | 
harsh “Qu-ay, qu-ay, qu-ay!” that the jay uses at other 
times when he informs the whole bird world that a mere 
human has straggled, or struggled, into a wing-haunted 
region. You may be ever so quiet, walk ever so softly on 
firry needles or feathery moss, hide in the shadows of big — 
tree trunks, but his black eyes are sure to discover you, as 
he drifts about his parade grounds, and he will follow you, 
~ accusing you of every sin that he, himself, has committed 
until every other bird in the locality has had a chance to 
look you over and decide against you. 
| Still, if you ever succeed in getting jays to come to your 
bird table, their bad manners will often be excused because 
they are so human. When other birds are not around he 
will appear and disappear quickly after gobbling everything | 
in sight, for all is grist that comes to his mill, be it provided 
by friend or foe. If a towhee, junco, or song sparrow should 
presume, however, to ask for a share of the food that kind 
providence has spread, war is at once declared. 
Such a table was provided by nailing a wooden box just 
on the level of three kitchen windows near Bremerton, 
Washington, one mild winter. The house was at the top of 
a bluff, above a salt water inlet, surrounded by firs, alders, 
and madrones, and one fir branch reached invitingly out 
from the grove toward the food. For almost a month not a 
single bird had appeared to notice the crumbs and bird seed 
placed so temptingly between man and nature. Bits of suet 
and fat pork nailed or tied to the near-by trees disappeared. 
at night or in the early morning before lazy people were up, | 
yet there were no visitors at the window. | 
But the morning of January 11 “thump” sounded the. 
table, as a handsome Steller Jay leaped down, standing there | 
lil 
