364 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



or lined with fibrous roots. The eggs are from four to six, and 

 resemble those of the American Crow, but are smaller." 



Two eggs in my collection, from Florida, are of the 

 above description, and are almost exactly like the others, 

 measuring a little smaller: their dimensions being 1.60 by 

 1.10 inch and 1.52 by 1.04 inch. 



Sub-Family GARRULIN^E. The Jays. 



Wings short, rounded ; not longer or much shorter than the tail, which is grad- 

 uated, sometimes excessively so ; wings reaching not much beyond the lower tail 

 coverts ; bristly feathers at base of bill, variable ; bill nearly as long as the head, or 

 shorter; tarsi longer than the bill or than the middle toe; outer lateral claws rather 

 shorter than the inner. 



CYANURA, SWADJSON. 



Cyanurus, SWAINSON, F. Bor. Am., II. (1831) 495, App. (Type Corvus cristatm, 

 Linn.) 



Head crested ; wings and tail blue, with transverse black bars ; head and back 

 of the same color; bill rather slender, somewhat broader than high at the base; cul- 

 men about equal to the head: nostrils large, nearly circular, concealed by bristles; 

 tail about as long as the wings, lengthened, graduated; hind claw large, longer than 

 its digit. 



The culmen is straight to near the tip, where it is gently decurved ; the gonys is 

 convex at the base, then straight and ascending; the bill has a very slight notch at 

 the tip; the nostrils are large, nearly circular, or slightly elliptical; the commissure 

 is straight at the base, then bending down slightly near the tip; the legs present no 

 special peculiarities; the crest on the head consists of a number of elongated, narrow, 

 lanceolate occipital feathers. 



CYANUEUS CEISTATUS. Swainson. 

 The Blue Jay. 



Corpus cristatus, Linnaeus. Syst Nat, I. (10th ed., 1758) 106. Wils. Am. Orn. 

 1 (1808) 2. Aud. Orn. Biog., II. (1834) 11; V. (1839) 475. 



Cyanurus cristatus, Swainson. F. Bor. Am., II. (1831) App. 495. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Crest about one-third longer than the bill ; tail much graduated ; general color 

 above, light purplish-blue; wings and tail feathers ultramarine-blue; the secondaries 

 and tertials, the greater wing coverts, and the exposed surface of the tail, sharply 



