The Jav 155 



Family- CORMD.E. 



The Jay. 



Ga})ulu$ glainlatins, LiNN. 



WIDELY distributed and resident throughout Europe excepting in the 

 south-east : in Asia and Algeria several more or less differentiated 

 forms occur which interbreed and produce intergrades, thus rendering 

 their separation by Ornithologists a very arbitrary and difficult task. 



Although still fairly common in the woodlands of England, in spite of the 

 incessant persecution to which it is subjected by game-keepers, farmers, and 

 gardeners, the Jay is rapidly becoming rarer in Scotland, yet is still b}^ no 

 means scarce in the southern counties, whilst in Ireland, where it was (in all 

 probability) at one time, pretty generally distributed, it is now not only 

 confined to the south, but is only of local occurrence. 



About the month of October, a considerable immigration of Jays takes place, 

 largely adding to the number bred in Great Britain. 



This beautiful bird has the crown covered by a well-defined crest, the 

 smaller feathers of which are tipped and the larger ones streaked with black ; 

 nape and back vinous-brown ; rump and upper tail-coverts white ; wing-coverts 

 with the outer webs regularly barred with black, white, and silvery-blue, the inner 

 webs black; primaries dull black, externally edged with white, secondaries shining 

 black, the innermost feather mostly chestnut, the remainder with large white 

 patches on the basal half of the outer w^eb ; tail black, the outer pair of feathers 

 brownish ; ear-coverts pale vinous-brown ; a broad black moustachial streak from 

 the base of the bill; chin and throat buffish-white; breast and abdomen vinaceous, 

 deeper on the flanks; vent and under tail-coverts white. Bill blackish horn-brown, 

 feet brown, iris vinous-brownish. The female resembles the male in colouring, 

 but is smaller, has a shorter crest and a broader and shorter bill. The young 

 chiefl}' differ in having the iris pale blue. 



It is difficult to explain how it has come about that the colouring of the 

 adult and 3'oung eye in the Jay has been transposed in British Bird books. Like 

 many other young animals this bird when a baby has innocent blue eyes, which, 

 however, change soon after its first moult to a vinous-brownish colour, a little 



