CUKVID.E — THE CHOWS. 9(J7 



was with General Scott's army in its campait^ii in Mexico. Mr. Pease stated 

 that it hvetl on the sides of the hills througliout tlie year, and that its local 

 uaiue was I'qK vcrde. 



Colonel George A. McCall, Inspectnr-( Jcnci-al of the United States Army, 

 was the first person to collect these birds within our limits. He obtained 

 them in the forests that border the Eio ( Jrande on the southeastern frontier 

 of Texas. There he found them all mated in the mouth of May, and 

 he felt no doubt that the}' had their nests in the extensive and almost 

 impenetrable thickets of mimosa, commonly called chaparral. From the 

 jealousy and pugnacity which tliese birds manifested on the approacli, or 

 appearance even, of the large boat-tailed Blackbirds of that country (Quisca- 

 Itis mac7-wu.s), which were nesting in great nunrbers in the \"icinity. Colonel 

 McCall was satisfied that the Jays were at that time also engaged in the 

 duties of incidjation and reai'ing their young. In cliaracter and temperament 

 these birds ap[)eared to be \ery active and lively, thougii less noisy than 

 some other species of the family. Their gay plumage was exhibited to great 

 advantage as they fiitted from tree to tree, or dashed boldly in pursuit of 

 such of their more plainly attired neighbors as ventui'ed to intrude upon 

 their domain. 



Captain J. P. McCown, also quoted by Mr. Cassin, furnishes some 

 additional observations in regard to these birds. He states that during the 

 several years that he was in Texas, he frequently saw these Jays, but never 

 met with them above Einggold Barracks, or north of the w^oods that skirt 

 the liio Grande. They seemed to prefer the acacia groves which have 

 sprung up where the ground has been overflowed. He regards it as a rather 

 cautious bird. He observed nests high up in tlie trees above mentioned, 

 which he supposes belong to this species, though this was never positively 

 ascertained. He had no doubt that they breed in Texas. 



Genus PERISOREUS, Bonap. 



Perisorcits, Bonap. S;iggio di una dist. met. 1831. (Type, C'on'ua cmiadensi'! ?) 

 Dysomitkia, Swainsox, F. B. Am. II, 1831, 49.5. (Saine type.) 



Cii.\R. Feathers lax and full, especially on the back, and of very dull colors, without 

 any blue. Head without distinct crest. Bill very short; broader than high. Culnieii 

 scarcely half the length of the head ; straight to near the tip, then slightly curved : gonys 

 more curved than culmen. Bill notched at tip. No.'itrils round, covered by bristly feath- 

 ers. Tail about equal to the wings; graduati'd. Tar.-;i ralher short; but little longer 

 than the middle toe. Plumage very soft, and without any lustre. 



The Canada Jay has a near ally in a species of nortliern Europe and 

 Siberia, — the Siberian Jay {P. infamtus). In size and proportions tlie two 

 are quite identical, there being about the same proportionate length of wing 

 and tad, and a general correspondence in the minutise of external anatomy. 



Tor.. II. 38 



