The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1905-04-18

but | have many times discovered
them scratching and fussing among
dead leaves on the ground. In
fact, the first cardinal bird l ever
saw in northern Ohio emerged in a
cloud of dust from a heap of dead
leaves where he had been raising such
a commotion that | had expected to
see nothing smaller than a hen or
hawk The less "dressy" little wife
J soon appeared on the scene also, and,
l am happy to say, the charming pair,
or another just like them, have nested
for several seasons in a nearby thick
et and during the winter six glowing
cardinals have ranged through the
valley in search of food, a sight for
sore eyes in January, when the Their
mometer has tumbled way below de-
! cency.
On almost any winter day, IL the
sun gives the least hint of increased
warmth, the cardinal takes heart and
whistles loud and clear. His thrilling
Watcher, watcher, watcher,
ALPHABETICALLY, rings out sweetly,
followed by a meditative little "cho-
cho-cho," lest he forget life's RESPONSE
bilities. By the way, the chatty little
juncos initiate these "cho-cho-cho"
notes in tinkling, icy song that
would be positively refreshing in Au-
gust, but during the heated months
these small snowbirds are away in
the North" arranging affairs in the
icicle country; so it is no wonder that
their song has frosty flavor.
Next in gorgeousness of color, oft
en- to be seen at wintry "at-home,"
comes the metallic-hued bluejay-
saucy, noisy and handsome, with
beauty that covers a multitude of
sins, according to some observers. At
any rate, he is the first to cry thief,
thief" on all occasions and the last
fellow to give up the booty. All the
same, l believe that this engagingly
human" chap is a much maligned
bird, for all that Langille insists that
he sees them Juggling around dead
sparrows in the tree tops, picking out
the eyes and brains at their leisure.
OF course, such tales give the jays a
doubtful reputation that will bear
washing" Myself, l have only seen
them despoiling the winter cocoons of
the destructive tussock moth. The
government report also confirms my
good opinion of them.
Occasionally crops out the jays re-
lationship to the mischievous crow.
Like that bird of questionable charac-
ter, he skips about teasing other
birds by initiating the call of their
dreaded enemy, the hawk. Owls, too,
are game for him, for he cannot see
one blinking and motionless in the
sunshine without making unpleasant
remarks in close proximity to its I'M
seeing eyes. Doubtless, however, the
owl takes his revenge when night
comes, and many Juicy jay pays the
penalty of his daylight impertinence.
BY the way crows are often annoyed
by impudent kingbirds, at whom, in
turn, the saucy little wren has his
fling; and so on, l suppose, down the
scale, following the example of
Swift's lesser fieas."
But if the jay is noisy chap during
the autumn and winter months
comes May and mating time. Then he
is as silent as a pickpocket, gliding
through the bushes with never a word
to anyone. He appreciates at its true
value the old maxim that silence is
golden. There is time for all things,
and he intelligently discriminates-
which is more than can be said of
many of the great unfeathered.
According to Lowell, his kingly
crown sometimes leads him into trou-
BILE, as does occasionally that insignia
of royalty of our own order Malicious
boys make a hole in the snow Just
large enough to admit his head and
bait it with corn. Into this the crest
slips easily, but refuses to be pulled
out, and the jay who came to feast ]