4CQ CYANURVS CIl] STATUS. 



CYANURUS CRIST ATUS. 

 Blue Jay. 

 Cynnurus rrislatus Swainson, F. lior. Am., 11, IH;!!. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cii. Form, rohust. SizP, r.ir-ilium. Bill, int'ier tlnck nml Cdnli'al, with tlie upper mandible slightly eurvcd. 

 5tcr;iii:n, rather stout. Tongue, broinl, tliin and horny, bitid,and provided with eoar.se, terminal cilia which extend a- 

 long the .sides. Crest, not very long. 



Color. Adult. Above, lilue, tinged witli purjdish, purest on the lie.ad. Wings and tail, pure dark-blue, with the 

 innor webs of tie former dark-brown, and with the feathers of the latter, excepting central pair, as well a.s the seeomlaries, 

 tipjied with wliite, and all arc liarred with black. The greater wing coverts are also Ijarrcd with black and tipped witli 

 white. Forehead, nasal feathers, ring around eye, and thrcjat, dusky-white. liand acro.ss occiput, extending down on the 

 siilcs of head and connecting with a crescent en the Ijreast Tiy a longitudinal bar, black. Loral spot and under wing cov- 

 erts, also black. Remainder of breast, abd.)men, and under tail coverts, white. Bill and feet, black. 



Yonn(j. RIucli duller abo\e and with less white on the wings and tail. The black markings of the head, nerk, ami 

 breast are not as distinct, while there is ratlier more white below. 



?7i'.t/I/n^s. Uniform slaty aljove, black on the head where there is only a short crest. Wings and tail, as in tlie above. 

 The black markings of the head, neck, and breast are ])resent, Iiut are rather brownish. The remainder of the lower parts 

 arc Cjuito white. ECU and f/et, brown. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Occasionally the blick crescent will be bordered above and liclow with bluish. Florida specimens, although somewhat 

 duller in eidor, especially lielmv, arc not very much smaller than more northern skins. Distributed as a coastant resident 

 t!n-oug'iout Eastern Njrth America. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of ten s]iocimens from New England and Florida. Length, ITOO; stretch, 16"35; wing, .'J'.S2; 

 tail, .5-50; bill, t'CO; tarsus,' \::0. Li ngest specimen, 21-()0; greatest extent of wing, 17-(;0; longest wing, fi-25; tail, '1-78; 

 bill, 1-1.5; tarsus, I'lO. Shortest spceimen, in-()0; s.nallest extent of wing, li5-50; shorte.st wing, MO; tail, 5-00; lull, I'OO; 

 ta-.;-us, 1-20. 



DESCRIFTIOX OF NESTS AND E(i(;S. 



iVr.s7,s-, jdaced ic trees, compiscd of sticks an I roots, lined with strips of cedar bark and rootlets. Dimensions, exter- 

 nal diameter, fi-OO, internal, I'.'JO. External depth, 3-5;), internal, 9-00. 



i'>////.s, from four to five in numlicr, oval in form, varying from yellowish-brown to erayish-grcen in color, s|potted 

 and blotched with dral), and occasionally (lotted with black. Dimensions from 10.5x-55 to l-20x'!10. 



HABITS. 

 I have f5;ii.l thiit the Crows were sagacious, but they certainly find rivals in this par- 

 ticnl.-u- I rait in the Blue Jay for it will he difficult to find it species which exhibits any more 

 s:tgacity than the present, in many points. The Crows are very fond of hearing their own 

 voices and in this they are also surpassed by the Jays which are ccrt.ninly as garrulous 

 ami ,'is noisy birds as any of our native species. When the first frost has opened the burs, 

 disclosing the dark-brown chestnuts within, then the Jays are supremely happy and tlieir 

 loud cries resound through the still autumn air. They are extremely busy but utter their 

 cries as they pursue their vocation, for this is their harvest time, and they may be seen 



(lying toward the deep w Is, hidcu with chestnuts which they depo.sit in some hiding 



pl;i(!e as a winter store. They usuitlly select some hole in a tree or perhaps a, cavity behind 

 a lose strip of btirk whitdi they fill with nuts. But they do not confine all their attention 

 to the above named article of diet but will also gather acorns and, what is more unfortuuato 



