574 GARRULUS. JAY. 



margin, but without ciliary bristles. Aperture of the ear 

 roundish, of moderate size. 



Head rather large, oblong, convex above ; neck short ; body- 

 ovate, compact or rather slender. Legs of moderate length, 

 stout or rather slender ; tarsi of moderate length, compressed, 

 covered anteriorly with about ten scutella, posteriorly with two 

 longitudinal plates, meeting behind with a sharp edge. Toes 

 of moderate size, the outer adherent as far as the second joint ; 

 hind toe large, lateral toes nearly equal, third considerably 

 longer ; all covered above with a few large scutella, beneath 

 rather flattened, padded, granulate. Claws rather slender, 

 arched, much compressed, acute, the first with an obscure 

 groove on the sides, the third with the inner edge rather dilated. 



Plumage generally full, blended, and very soft ; the feathers 

 of the body ovate, blended, with a long plumule composed of 

 a few downy filaments. Feathers on the upper and anterior 

 part of the head generally long and erectile ; those at the base 

 of the upper mandible linear, stiff, with short discrete barbs, 

 directed forwards and adpressed, but much shorter than in the 

 Crows. There is also a series of decurved bristles at the base 

 of the rictus. Wings of moderate length, or rather short, much 

 rounded, the outer primaries separated at the end when the 

 wing is extended ; primary quills ten, the first very short and 

 narrow, about half the length of the fourth and fifth, which 

 are almost equal and longest ; the first five having both webs 

 narrowed toward the end ; secondary quills ten, broad, rounded. 

 Tail long, generally a little decurved, rounded in various de- 

 grees, of twelve broad, rounded feathers. 



The species of this genus are very numerous, and distributed 

 over both continents. They diifer from the Crows in having 

 the body more slender, the wings shorter, the tail longer, the 

 bill shorter and less robust, with the outline of the lower man- 

 dible more convex ; the reversed bristly feathers much shorter, 

 and scarcely extending beyond the nasal groove. They are 

 more properly frugivorous than omnivorous, feeding principally 

 on nuts and berries, but they also eat insects, larvae, eggs, and 

 young birds. They reside in woods, and seldom frequent open 

 places like crows ; are shy, suspicious, and not easily approach- 



