GARRULINiE. 307 



Gen. Gaurulus, Brisson. 



Char. — Bill rather short, thick, compressed, conic, slightly 

 notched and bent at the tip ; lower mandible, with the gonys, equally 

 curved towards the tip ; commissure straight ; nostrils oval, basal, 

 covered with incumbent plumes and bristles ; wings moderate, 

 rounded, 5th and 6th quills sub-equal, 5th usually longest, 7th equal 

 to the 4th ; tail moderate, slightly rounded, or nearly even ; legs 

 moderate ; lateral toes slightly unequal. 



The Jays are moderate- sized birds, of pretty plumage, a well 

 marked and highly coloured speculum or wing-spot, being found 

 on most. They are peculiar to the Old World, being chiefly found 

 in the more temperate climates, and, in India, are confined to the 

 Himalayas. They arc more frugivorous than most of tlie Corvice, 

 but they will also eat insects, worms, eggs, and even small birds. 

 They have a varied voice, and great powers of imitation. Their 

 nesis are made of sticks lined with roots, and the etjKs are <2jreenish 

 or grey, more or less spotted. 



669. Garrulus bispecularis, Vigors. 



P. Z. S. 1830— Gould, Cent. Him. Birds, pi. 38— Horsf., 

 Cat. 863— G. ornatus, Gray, Hardw., 111. Ind. Zool. 1, pi. 23, 

 f. 2 — Blyth, Cat. 476 — Lho*karrio-pho, Lepch. 



The Himalayan Jay. 



Descr. — General colour light fawn brown or bay ; a black stripe 

 from the gape below the eye and ear-coverts ; upper tail-coverts 

 white ; greater wing-coverts and quills black, the primaries edged 

 externally with whitish on their outer web, gradually diminishing 

 in extent ; two pale sky-blue spots with black bars on the wing, 

 formed respectively by the winglet, and the greater part of the 

 outer web of the secondaries ; tail black ; beneath paler fawn ; vent 

 and under tail-coverts white. 



Bill dusky horny ; legs dull yellowish ; irides red brown. 

 Length 12 to 13 inches ; wing <o^ ; tail nearly 6 ; tarsus 1^ nearly ; 

 bill at front 1 to 1^. The wings do not reach to end of tail by 

 3 inches or nearly so, and the tail is barely rounded. 



The Himalayan Jay is found throughout the Himalayas, common 

 towards the North-west, rare in the South-east. I only got one 



