FAM. XVI. JAYS, CROWS, MAGPIES, ETC. 153 



Length, 15-22; wing, 7^-8^; tail, 91-12; tarsus. If; ciilmen, 1^. 

 Northern and western North America from the Plains to the Cascade 

 Mountains, and from Alaska to New 

 Mexico. Casually or accidentally 

 in Michigan and northern Illinois. 



2. Blue Jay (477. Cyanoc'itta 

 cristd,ta). — A very common, 

 large, noisy, crested, brightly 

 marked, blue bird, with white 

 throat, belly, and tips of outer 

 tail feathers. The wings and 

 tail are barred with black, and 

 the neck has a black collar. 

 This very beautiful species has 

 more bad traits than can here 

 be mentioned ; among them are 

 its fondness for eggs and nest- 

 lings. It has many notes of its 

 own, and is a mimic, imitating 

 the notes of a number of other birds. 



American Magpie 



Length, 111 ; wing, 5.V (5-6) ; tail, ^ ; tarsus, 1| ; culmen, 1. North 

 America from the Plains eastward and from Florida to the fur countries. 



About resident throughout. 

 The Florida Blue Jay (477''. 

 C. C. florincola) of the 

 Gulf coast region, from 

 Florida to Texas, is smaller, 

 grayer in color, and has 

 the under tail feathers less 

 tipped with white (usually 

 under 1 inch). Wing, 



3. Florida Jay (479. 

 Apheldcom a floridclnn). 

 — A large, very noisy, 

 bro^\^lish-bodied, gray- 

 ish-blue bird, with whitish under parts. There is a tint 

 of blue on the sides of the breast and across the breast. 



Bine Jay 



