. The American natural history; a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America. Natural history. THE MAGPIE AND BLUE-JAY 203 of their fear of the big condor, the painful pecks they get from tlie herons, and the greediness of the ducks in devouring all of their kind of food. In the days of elk and buffalo slaughter, the Magpies feasted continually upon fresh meat. Now they make friends with the ranchmen, and eat all kinds of food. This interesting bird ranges from Alaska, and the edge of the arctic barrens, southward through the great plains and mountains to the arid re


. The American natural history; a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America. Natural history. THE MAGPIE AND BLUE-JAY 203 of their fear of the big condor, the painful pecks they get from tlie herons, and the greediness of the ducks in devouring all of their kind of food. In the days of elk and buffalo slaughter, the Magpies feasted continually upon fresh meat. Now they make friends with the ranchmen, and eat all kinds of food. This interesting bird ranges from Alaska, and the edge of the arctic barrens, southward through the great plains and mountains to the arid regions of the South- Besides his harsh "Jay," a crow is a sweet songster. He will take your cherries right before your eyes, and then scold you roundly for not looking pleasant about it! He robs the nests of other birds, eating eggs or young, whichever may be there; and to that extent he is a pest. During the closed season on eggs and young nestlings, he lives on insects—until berries and smaU fruits ripen. If Jays were as numerous as English sparrows, it would be necessary to. AMERICAN MAGPIE. west. It is easily kept in confinement, if pro- vided with a large cage and a suitable house, out-of-doors. The Blue-Jay^ needs no description—only toleration; for his reputation would be all the better for washing. He is a bird of unbounded assurance, and being well known as a marauder, it is only his audacity which saves him from extermination. Externally, he is really a beauti- ful bird, but his voice is strident and unmusical. ' Cy-an-o-cit'ta cris-ta'ta. Length, inches. reduce their number; but they are not so nu- merous or so destructive that we need to attack them. Steller's Jay^ is one of the handsomest birds of the moist and dark forest region of the Pacific coast, which extends from Mount St. Ellas to San Francisco Bay. It is also the type of three subspecies, or varieties, found farther east and south. It is the Pacific coast counterpart of our blue-jay,—


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