164 CORVIDH, CROWS AND JAYS.—GEN. 98, 99. 
resort. In striking contrast to most Corvine, the jays are usually birds of bright 
and striking colors, among which blue is the most prominent, and the head is 
frequently crested. The sexes are nearly alike, and the changes of plumage do not 
appear to be as great as is usual among highly colored birds, although some differ- 
ences are frequently observable. Our well known blue jay is a familiar illustration 
of the habits and traits of the species in general. They are found in most parts of 
the world, and reach their highest development in the warmer portions of America. 
With one boreal exception (Perisoreus), the genera of the Old and New World are 
entirely different. 
It is proper to observe, that, while the American Corvine and Garruline, upon 
which the foregoing paragraphs are mainly drawn up, are readily distinguishable, 
the characters given may require modification in their application to the whole 
family, the different divisions of which appear to intergrade closely. 
98. Genus PSILORHINUS Rueppel. 
Brown Jay. Smoky brown, darker on head, fading on belly ; wings and 
tail with bluish gloss; bill and feet black, sometimes yellow ; about 16 long ; 
wing 73; tail 84, much graduated; bill 14, very stout; nostrils naked ; 
head uncrested. Rio Grande Valley and 
southward. Bp., 592. . . . MORIO. 
99. Genus PICA Brisson. 
Magpie. Lustrous black, with green, 
iridescence, especially on the tail and 
wings; below from the breast, a scap- 
ular patch, and edging of the quills, 
white; some whitish touches on the 
throat; bill and feet black. Length 15 
or 20 inches, according to the develop- 
ment of the tail, which is a foot or less 
long, extremely graduated ; wing about 
8, the outer primary short, slender, 
and falcate. Arctic America, and U.S. 
from Plains to Pacific, except California ; 
common, ~ Wats:,-iv, (0, plimoor 
Weeds LE Ee Norr., i, 219; Aup., iv, 99, pl. 227: 
Bp., 076: - 6 elle 2 te 6) ol) OMELANOLEUGACVar. HUDSONIGAS 
Var. nutratiu.  Yellow-billed Magpie. Bill yellow; otherwise precisely like the 
last, of which it is a perpetuated accident! The European Magpie sometimes 
shows the same thing, and in some other species, like P. morio, the bill is indiffer- 
ently black or yellow. California. Aup., iv, 104, pl. 228; Nurr., i, 2d ed., 236 ; 
Bp., 578; Coor., 295. 
Ozss. The Columbian Magpie, Pica bullockii of Aup., iv, 105, pl. 229, and 
Norr., i, 220, is the Calocitta collie, 2 magnificent species of the West Coast of 
Mexico, erroneously attributed to California and Oregon. 
| 
| 
purple and violet, and even golden ‘ 
