CORVID^ — THE CROWS. 30] 



isothermal line of this region passes south of Cincinnati, shows that climate 

 and temperature do not regulate the range of this species. As observed in 

 the summer months among the forests of Oregon, the Canada Jay appeared 

 as a rather shy bird, exhibiting none of the familiarity and impudence ex- 

 hibited in winter when made bold by hunger. 



Wilson mentions the St. Lawrence as the southern boundary of this bird, 

 a few only wintering in Northern New York and Vermont. But this is 

 inexact. They are found resident throughout the year in a large, part of 

 Maine and in all the highlands of New Hampshire and Vermont. They 

 are resident at Calais, where they breed in March at about latitude 45°, and 

 descend in the winter to the southwest corner of Vermont, whence it is 

 quite probable a few cross into Massachusetts, at Williamstown and Adams, 

 though none have been detected, that I am aware. Wilson himself states 

 that he was informed by a gentleman residing near Hudson, N. Y., that these 

 birds have been observed in that neighborhood in the winter. 



Dr. Coues met with these birds in Labrador. The first he saw were in a 

 dense spruce forest. These were very shy, alighting only on the tops of the 

 tallest trees, and flying off with loud harsh screams on his approach. Sub- 

 sequently, at Eigolet, he found them abundant and very familiar. One or 

 more were always to be seen hopping unconcernedly in the garden-patches 

 around the houses, not in tlie least disturbed by the near presence of man, 

 and showing no signs of fear even when very closely approached. He 

 describes their voice as a harsli, discordant scream. 



Mr. Edward Harris, of Moorestown, N. J., informed Mr. Audubon, that 

 once, when fishing in a canoe in one of the lakes in the interior of Maine, 

 these Jays were so fearless as to light on one end of his boat while he sat in 

 the other, and helped themselves to his bait without taking any notice of 

 him. 



A nest of the Canada Jay, found by Mr. Boardman near St. Stephen's, 

 New Brunswick, measures four and a half inches in diameter and three 

 inches in height. The cavity is about three inches wide and two deep. The 

 nest is woven above a rude platform of sticks and twigs crossed and inter- 

 laced, furnishing a roughly made hemispherical base and periphery. Upon 

 this an inner and more artistic nest has been wrought, made of a soft felting 

 of fine mosses closely impacted and lined with feathers. The nest contained 

 three eggs. 



The egg of the Canada Jay measures 1.20 inches in length, by .82 of an 

 inch in breadth. They are of an oblong-oval shape, and are more tapering 

 at the smaller end than are most of the eggs of this family. The ground- 

 color is of a light gray, with a slightly yellowish tinge over the entire 

 egg, finely marked, more abundantly about the larger end, with points 

 and blotches of slate-color and brown, and faint cloudings of an obscure 

 lilac. 



