NUTCRACKER. 35 



legs and feet pale brown. In the young the eyes are brown, 

 but turn to pale blue when adult. 



The Irish Jay, according to Mr. Witherby, is darker and more 

 rufous, and has the forehead streaks more pronounced, and the 

 Continental bird is greyer and paler on breast and flanks. 

 These distinctions can only be appreciated when skins are 

 compared, and are of no value in the field. Length, about 

 15 ins. Wing, 7-2 ins. Tarsus, i'5 ins. 



Nutcracker. Nucifraga caryocatades (Linn.). 



The Nutcracker (Plate ii) ranges through northern Europe 

 and Asia, and several geographical races are recognised ; 

 representatives of two forms, differing in size and shape of bill, 

 have occurred in Britain as rare autumn and winter visitors 

 or vagrant wanderers. The Thick-billed Nutcracker, A^. c, 

 caryocatades (Linn.), is the European bird, breeding in Scan- 

 dinavia, Russia, Germany and as far east as the Balkans. 

 The Thin-billed form, N. c. macrorhynchiis Brehm, breeds in 

 Siberia, and appears to wander more frequently westward, for 

 most of those taken in Britain when critically examined have 

 proved to be referable to this race. 



Pennant first recorded the Nutcracker from Flintshire in 

 1753, but it is hardly safe to judge the form from his plate. In 

 i86q one of the Thick-billed birds was killed in Cheshire, and at 

 least five others have been obtained in Sussex and Kent within 

 recent years. Including Pennant's Welsh and three Scottish 

 records, at least forty-five other Nutcrackers have been authen- 

 ticated for Great Britain, and those that have been examined 

 have been of the Slender-billed form. The majority of these 

 were taken or seen in southern and eastern counties. 



Mr. Jourdain states that in the field the bird is not unlike a 

 Rook with a long bill ; one which passed through my hands 

 was killed by a gamekeeper who thought that it was some kind 



