590 



U. S. p. K K. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



List of specimens. 



PERISOREUS, Bo nap. 



Perisoreus, Bonap. Saggio di una dist. met. 1831. Type Corvus canadensis ? 

 Dysornithia, Swainson, F. B. Am. II, 1831, 495. Same type. 



Ch. — Feathers lax and full, especially on the back, and of very dull co'ors, without any blue. Head without distinct crost. 

 BiU very short ; broader than high. Culmen scarcely half the length of the head; straight to near the tip, then sliglitly 

 curved ; gonys more curved than culmen. Bill notched at tip. Nostrils round, covered by bristly feathers. Tail about equal 

 to the wings ; graduated. Tarsi rather short ; but little longer than the middle toe. 



This genus includes the species of dullest colors among all of our jays. It has, too, the shortest 

 bill, and with this feature hears a very strong resemblance in many respects to some of the 

 titmice. 



The dates of the two names mentioned above are the same, but as Gray finds Perisoreus to 

 possess actual priority I follow him in this, not having a copy of the " Saggio' ' at hand. 



PERISOKEUS CANADENSIS, Bonap. 

 Canada Jay. 



CorvHs canadensis, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 158.— Forster, Phil. Trans. LXII, 1772, 389.— Wilson, Am. Orn. Ill, 



1811, 33 ; pl. -xxi.— Eon. Obs. 1824, No. 42.— Aud. Orn. Biog. II, 1834, 53 : V, 1839, 208 ; 



pi. 107. 

 Garnthis canadensis, Bon, (Saggio, 1831.') Syn. 1828, .58.— Swainson, F.jBor. Am, II, 1831, 295.— Nuttall, Man. 



I, 1832, 232.- Aud. Syn. 1839, 155.— Ib. Birds Amer. IV, 1842, 121 ; pl. 234. 

 Dijsornithitt canade^isis, Swainson, F. Bor Am. II, 1831. Appendix. 

 Perisoreus canadensis, Bon. List, 1838. — Ib. Conspectus, 1850, 375. — Cab. Mus. Hein. 1851, 219. — Newberut, Rep. 



P. R. R. Surv. VI, IV, 1857,85. 

 Garrulusfuscus, Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. XII, 1817, 479. 

 Pica nuchalis, Wagler, Syst. Av. 1827. Pica No. 14. 



Garrulus IrachyrrkyncUus, Swainson, F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 296 ; pl. Iv. Young. 

 " Coracias mex'canus, Temminck," Gray. 



Sp. Ch. — Tail graduated ; lateral feathers about one inch shortest. Wings a little shorter than the tail. Head and neck, 

 and fore part of breast white. A plumbeous brown nuchal patch, becoming darker behind, from the middle of the crown to 

 tlie back, from which it is separated by an interrupted whitish collar. Rest of upper parts ashy plumbeous ; the outer primaries 

 margined, the secondaries, tertials, and tail feathers obscurely tipped with white. , Beneath smoky gray." Crifsum whitish. 

 Bill and feet black. Length, 10.70; wing, 5.75 ; tail, 6.00 ; tarsus, 1.40. 



Ilnb. — Northern America into the northern pnrts of United States from Atlantic to Pacific ; more south in Rocky mountains. 



The young of this species are everywhere of a dull sooty brown, lighter on the middle of the 

 belly, and more plumbeous on the wings and tail. Witli increasing age the region about the 

 base of the bill whitens, and this color gradually extends backwards until the whole head, 

 excepting the occiput and nape, is white. The under parts are sometimes whiter than in the 

 typical specimens. 



