( -234 ) 



THE IRISH JAY. 



Garrulus glandarius hibernicus subsp. no v. 



BY 

 H. F. WITHERBY and E. HARTERT. 



In the Birds of Ireland (1900) Mr. R. J. Ussher remarks 

 (p. 88) : — " Mr. E. Williams, who has preserved a great 

 many examples, thinks that the Irish Jay is of a warmer 

 colour than the English bird." Recently Mr. W. J. 

 Williams has sent several specimens to Hartert pointing 

 out some of the differences. Meanwhile Witherby had 

 been for some time seeking to procure sufficient examples 

 on which to base a satisfactory conclusion. Witherby 

 has now examined, by the kindness of the Earl of Rosse, 

 Sir A. Armstrong, Bart., Major B. R. Horsburgh, Dr. R. 

 iScharff of the Dubhn Museum, and Mr. R. J. Ussher, 

 sixteen examples ; while Hartert has, at present, five at 

 his disposal — all in the Tring Museum. 



That the Irish Jay is very different from the British 

 Jay {G. g. rufitergum) is evident at a glance, while an 

 examination of a series of specimens shows that the 

 differences are constant, and any of the specimens we 

 have examined can easily be picked out from a large 

 series of British Jays. In the Irish Jay the sides of 

 the head and ear-coverts are much darker and more 

 rufous, the breast and abdomen are suffused with rufous- 

 pink, and in consequence much darker than the pale 

 brownish-buff breast and abdomen of the British Jay ; 

 the flanks are like the breast, and darker and more rufous 

 than in the British Jay ; the under wing-coverts and 

 axillaries are also dark rufous-pink ; the throat is more 

 suffused with pink; the "crest" is strikingly darker than 

 in the British Jay, the feathers of the forehead being 

 black, fringed with reddish-buff, those of the crown edged 

 with rufous-pink and more strongly barred with blue 

 than in the British Jay ; the nape, mantle, scapulars 

 and back are of a much deeper shade of rufous-pink than 



