The Elbert County tribune., 1908-07-30

lishman for killing them The case
while scientists and bird lovers may
hold otherwise the bluejay now ap-
pears in a precedent case" as being
gooseberry gourmand.
The blue1ay is perhaps the noisiest
creature known to ornithology, though
II danger is threatened he can main
tain a graveyard silence. was
watching a pair of bluejays who were
building nest in a stunted pine tree.
The two birds left the home site and
disappeared behind a close board
fence. In moment heard racket
Every note known to the Jays jargon
came rapidly from behind the fence.
The noise continued for several min
utes, and then, going to point to the
left of its source, | peeped oyer the
fence. The two birds were on an ash
pile in the alley, and between them
lay an extremely dirty paper collar.
There was little question in my mind
but that they were disputing over the
advisability of using the collar for
nesting material. They scolded back
and forth for some time, but Nine
Jay finally ended the matter by seiz-
ing the collar and taking 1t to the
nest. where. after much difficulty. one
end OF It was woven into the structure
while the other end was left to flap
with each passing breeze. making the
home in the pine tree a conspicuous
object to every passer.
The jay has a pertinacity that in
some cases might be commendable.
After the pine tree nest was COM
pleted and the eggs were laid the
mother bird began sitting. There
should have been young in the nest
at the end of two weeks, but no young
came. The bird sat steadily, with the
exception of the ume spent in seeking
food. for 80 days before she gave up
hope of offspring. After they had de-
serted the nest l examined the eggs.
Each had little dried-up kernel in
side that rolled about like a pea.
Albino birds are not of great rarity
Perhaps it were better to say that
birds partly albino are not rare. A
pure white crow was recently In the
possession of Animal Keeper De yry
of the Lincoln Park ZOO. Chicago
Ruthven Deane, fellow of the Amer.
lean Ornithologists union, has a
mounted crow specimen that is as
white as the petal of syringa bios
som.
There came under my personal OBJ
servation a crow which had a large
white patch in the center of its 9th
erwise black back. saw this bird
on different occasions during two
years. Save once 1t was always alone.
and at the time marking the excep-
tion its company was flock of its fell
lows, who were chasing 1t to drive 1t
away from the neighborhood of their
retreat. 1t is impossible to determine
absolutely what the reason for the
crows persecution was, but of course
everything points to the circumstance
of its white back as the real cause.
The bobolink (dolichonyx oryzivor-
us) has been painted part white by
nature, but l once found bobolink
that was pure white, barring two
black streaks on his breast 1t has
been supposed that freak" birds have
some difficulty in procuring mates,
but this white bobolink had a wife
and an interesting family of young.
1t may have been nothing but acct
dent, but the mated pair built their
nest in a meadow where there were
no other bobolinks, although the
fields directly across the road were
filed with their brothers and sisters.
1t certainly looked like bobolink ostra-
cism due to the popularity of the al
bino's feathers.
1t happens not infrequently that