524 



NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



group which contains the typical crows and their nearest allies is found in South 

 America. In fact the Corvidse occurring south of Panama may all be regarded as 

 rather recent modifications of immigrants from the Nearctic region. This family is 

 not nearly related to any forms that are peculiar to South America. 



It has been customary to divide the birds composing this family into jays and 

 crows, assigning to each of these divisions the rank of a sub-family, while others 

 have given similar dignity to the nut-crackers and the choughs. The differences seem 

 hardly important enough to justify such proceedings, although popularly this multi- 

 tude of species nearly one hundred and eighty maybe grouped as above, with the 

 addition of a section for the magpies. 



^Rlw '- \ ' 



FIG. 258. Gamdus ylanclarius, European common jay. 



FIG 



Some of the more generalized forms resemble tits in their aspect, structure, and 

 habits to such an extent as to make it quite probable that they are intimately related. 

 We refer particularly to a group of jays, of which our Canada jay or 'whiskey-jack' 

 (Perisorens canadensis) is typical. A nearly allied form, but more suffused with 

 rufous, and with the tail distinctly of the latter color, is represented in the accompany- 

 ing cut, lower figure, viz., the Siberian jay (P. infaustus), which is a common bird 

 in all the deep pine forests of the northern Paloearctic region. Like its American 

 cousins, this tit-jay is extremely tame, noisy, and even obtrusive in its habits, at least 

 during three fourths of the year, while towards the breeding season they suddenly 

 become silent, preparing the nest in the most secluded parts of their native forests, 

 and exercising all their cunning to keep it concealed. 



