THE



227



Bxucultural dfoagastite,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE


AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.



New Series. — VOL. I. — NO. 7 . —All rights reserved. MAY, 1903.



THE BLUE-BEARDED JAY.


Cyanocorax cyanopogon.


By Arthur G. Butler, Pli.D.


Early in the year 1895 a fair number of specimens of this

beautiful Brazilian Jay came into the British Bird-market. Our

member, Mr. J. B. Housden, purchased, I think, seven

examples ; one of which came into my possession, and is still in

admirable health and spirits.


According to the late Dr. Carl Russ, this species is rare in

the German market, and is only imported singly; it was first

received in the Zoological Gardens of London and Amsterdam in

1864.


Burmeister tells us but little respecting the wild life of

the Blue-bearded Jay; he says it has the same habits as the

European species, feeding upon insects and seeds, more

particularly of forest trees. From what Mr. White says of the

allied Pileated Jay, it is probably more like our Magpie in its

inquisitive behaviour, and its liking for the vicinity of human

habitations.


I fancy that the English Jay would soon be in a bad way

if fed only upon insects and seeds; and the same may be safely

concluded in the case of Cyanocorax. The former, as we know,

feeds upon worms, spiders, insects, eggs and young of small

birds, probably mice and other small rodents, berries, acorns,

beech-mast, and nuts. I have 110 doubt that the species of

Cyanocorax do the same.


In captivity not only Jays, but all members of the family



