Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-07-15
BRO BURGLARS.
The Jay and tho Crow Are tns Yer.
Worst Of Pests.


The jay and the crow have very
bad reputation-that Of robbing
other birds nests-and it is richly
deserved. Which is the worse it
were hard to say. But their meth
DDS are different.
The jay reminds one Of the jolly
freebooter of old. He seems to take
pride in his depravity and to rob
as much for amusement as for plum
der. He will approach a nest in full
day. The protests Of the owner are
met with jeers Of mockery, as it
were. If these could be translated
into words the result would be
something like this: "Ha, ha. l
like to hear poor insignificant lit
tie tit like YOU. with common drab
plumage. threaten the like Of me!
You make me laugh, really. But
what's the matter with YOU. ANY,
way: Do You not sec that l am
paving YOU distinguished honor in
deigning to select Your eggs for my
breakfast: You must be very
stupid little bird. Please stop that
outcrv and leave me in peace"
Then after hopping from limb 10
limb all about the nest ana display
ing his gay military srapp!ngs to
the iul! he Will proceed 70 pounee
upon the eggs OF Young. as the case
NAY - gate often AS muci. ot
these ", ~ scattered upon the
S--,..::-.t IS ~. . eaten. HIS whole
...s.s.,:::: - reckless a.; ex:-avasant
NJ :1ss b: zx-s:s;: r,.a .eas. fear
% zgsa- - .s i c:.e s:E:l.es. de- |
---ss 5a>c.o..> IA. 80. - : doing !
: a--91- We. n,s east : finished /.
Il w. mp ano:s- az,s.n more gay.y |
All s-,e--.:,--. IS: staa ever and |.
lln-ay il o.. with q hooking laugh, |
while NE poor little victim views |
the ruin OF tler hopes with despair.
How tlitfaren, from all this is the |
crow and hi> manner Of procedure. |
With the air OF midnight rlaraud-
er lie tries industriousIv to live up
to 1t. He will only approach nest
in the d,'Sh; of morning or evening,
and his maneuvcrs are stealthy and
cautious in the extreme. After the
discovery of the most he will fix off |
a certain distance and take up po-
sition OF observation. Having salts
fled himself that t here are no traps
or surprises in store, he will fly a
little nearer the nest. Here he will
study the owner, who now has taken
alarm, and those whom her cries
may summon to the spot. Ii there
is nothing to apprchend in the way
Of attack (and, of course. usually
there is not) the marauder will
make his way right up to the nest,
which in turn he will study while
occasionally casting furtive g|ances
about him.
His air at this moment is full of
interest. Dark and fierce and rapa-
cious, there is yet certain craven
look which seems to betray con-
seriousness Of guilt. The WHOLE fig
ure would do credit to one of those
becloaked providers We read about as
lurking o nights in the bvways of
old Spain or Italy.
The outcrics Of the owner of the
nest, Of her mate and perhaps Of
some sympathetic neighbors become
louder and more frantic, but they
produce no effect upon the intruder
save for the occasional sidelong fur
tive glance, he remaining quite i'm
passive. At length, when every
thing has been observed and stud
led and there seems to be no danger
imminent, the attack is made. This
is so voracious that in few min
utes all is over. Then the maraud-
er, after wiping his bill on branch,
will bctakc himself away as silently
as he came. If we follow his lum-
bering flight with our eyes we will
see him light upon the top Of some
tree at a considerable distance and
there give vent to ii series of strident
caws. This, no doubt, is his way Of
expressing satisfaction over his sue
I