The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1908-08-01

SV0US NVOsU
As has been said. bluejays are thick
In the suburbs of Highland Park. An
Englishman living In the place had
some gooseberry bushes which bore
berries Of extraordinary size and
sweetness. The owner Of the fruit de.
cl.red that the bluejays ate his treas
ures. and securing his shotgun he de-
stroyed several Of the birds. The law
In Illinois protects the bluejay. but
there 10 \ section Of the statute which
gives the right to kill birds which are
preying on the crops Friends of the
bluejays said that the birds wouldn't
eat gooseberries. and there was .
prosecution started against the Eng
lishman for killing them. The case
was decided finally In his favor. and
while scientists and bird lovers may
hold otherwise the bluejay now ap
pears In . precedent case" ~ being
gooseberry gourmand.
The bluejay Il perhaps the noisiest
creature known to ornithology. though
II danger II threatened he can main.
tain . graveyard silence. was
watching 4 pair Of bluejays who were
building nest In . stunted pine tree
The two birds left the home site and
disappeared behind q 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 a point to the
left OF it, source. peeped over the
fence. The two birds were ON an ash
pile In the alley. and between them
lay an extremely dirty paper collar.
There vas little question Ia my mind
bat that they were dispating 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 seis.
ing the collar and taking II to the
nest. where. after much dimculty. one
end OF II was woven into the structure.
while tho other end was left to nap
with each passing breeze. making the
homo In the pine tree . conspicuous
object to every passer. .-sr
The Jay has pertinacity that In
some cases might be oommendabie.
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 tho end OF two weeks. but NO young
came. The bird sat steadily. with the
exception Of the time spent In seeking
food. for 30 days before she save up
hope q offspring. After they had Dc.
serted the nest ! examined the eggs.
Each had . little dried.up kernel in.
side that rolled about like . pa.
Alblno birds are not Of great rarity.
Perhaps Il were better to say that
birds partly albluo are not rare. A
pure white crow was recently In the
possession Of Animal Keeper D. vry
Of the Lincoln Park roo. Chicago.
Rsthven Deane. . fellow Of the Amer.
lean ornithoiogists union. has .
mounted crow specimen that II ~
white % the petal Of = syringa bios.
som.
There came under my personal Oh
servation . crow which had . lares
white patch IL the center Of it, 9th.
srwtss black back. saw this bird
on Different occasions during two
years. Save once II was always alone,
and At the tims marking the excep.
tioa 10 company vas . sock q IL sel
lows. who were chasing Il 10 drive Il
away from The asishbeshoo1 a thsir
retreat Il ID impossibis To Astermins
Absolutely what the reason for The
crows persecution was. bat q eousso
everything points 70 the circvmstaaee
Of IT, white hack % the real Cause.
Tho bobolink (dolichonyx orysivoe.
us) hes bssa painted part white b.
nature. but oace found Q boboiink
that vas purs white. barring two
black strsaks o. bic breast. Il be-
bssa suppossl that "fresh" birds have
some di0cuIty 10 procUFtng maGss,
bat this white boeolink hsd Q wife
and ~ tutsrsstiss family Of yousg.
Il may have bssa nothins bst acci.
lent, BIT The mated pair built thsip
nest II . meadow WHORE there we're
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