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"I'm tremendously obliged to you, I'm sure," said Jack.

"Not at all," said Charley; "I like to give to any one who really cares
for such things: besides, I've not been very generous, as I have only
put in those eggs of which I have other specimens. There are some very
good sorts, though, in your box; for, you see, I've been collecting for
some time. Tom, I've got an owl's egg for you, that white one, and two
jay's eggs--dull green, speckled with olive brown. Look here, too! I've
got a jay itself, which a farmer who lives near here shot and gave to
me. I'm going to try and stuff it."

"What pretty blue and black wings it has!" said Jack.

"Yes; it's a handsome but a very thievish bird. It's very clever, too,
in imitating all kinds of sounds that it hears. It will bleat like a
lamb, mew like a cat, neigh like a horse, and imitate the sawing of
wood exactly."

"How are the red starts getting on?" asked Tom.

"All right," said Charley; "the young birds are hatched now."

Charley turned to Jack, and explained that there was a pair of red
starts that had a nest just outside of the window of the room,--"as you
can see."

Jack went to the window and saw in a hole of the low roof a little
bluish-gray bird with a white crown sitting on a nest; and presently her