74 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOE, CAGE AND AVIARY. 



'They lay in May near the Columbia River, and 

 probably a month earlier in some part.- of this State." 



I have the lees hesitation in quoting the above in 

 full, because Ridgway regards C. </'i>/>i/i</tn as a mere 

 fub-r-.pe.-ies of Steller's Jay. Unss says that in 1889 

 L. Ruhe, of Alfeld, imported about twenty head of this 

 Jay into the market, and therefore he thinks it quite 

 likely that the introduction of the species to the bird- 

 loving public may sooner or later ln> repeated. 



PILKATED JAY (Cyanocorax chrysops). 



In size as large as a Magpie, but with a shorter tail. 

 In colouring it chiefly diftere from C. <-//<//i"/>i>t/on in 

 having the nape blue; the ha -1\, \\ings. and expose;! 

 parts cf the tail feathers (with the exception of the 

 broad white tips), glossed with purple: the crest is 

 much more rounded ; the iris, whitish yellow. Female 

 with bill, viewed from above, distinctly hroader than 

 that of the male, but about the same length. Hab., 

 Southern Brazil. Uruguay, and Paragu.; 



Burmeister say* that this bird lives in pairs like our 

 Magpie, nests somewhat inartistically upon high trees, 

 Jays two bluish-white. bro-wn->potted e^ns, and feeds on 



I'H.EATED JAY. 



grain or insects according to the time of year. Mr. 

 White, speaking of it a.s observed by him in Argentina, 

 says: "It is remarkably tame and inquisitive, and has 

 a great variety of peculiar gra.tiug metallic notes." 

 A/.ara says : " It is abundant in Paraguay, and familiar 

 with men, coming a great deal about the houses." 



Hudson ("Argentine Ornithology," Vol. I., p. 110) 

 observe^ : "This Blue Jay is very common about the 

 woods at Campo Colorado (Salta).'' He calls it the 

 " Urra:.-a Jay." 



This is a familiar species at bird-shows, and is 

 perhaps even more freely imported into Europe than 

 C. ri/fitiopnt/ii/i. It first reached the London Zoological 

 Gardens in February, 1865. an example being presented 

 by Mrs. Laird Warren : a second example was pre- 

 sented by Mr. E. B. Webb in December. 1872, and two 

 were purchased in July, 1875 ; many other examples 

 have been acquired since that date. On several occa- 

 sions it has reached the Berlin Gardens, and several 

 private aviculturists have had specimens. In 1907 Mr. 

 H. C. Martin published some notes on the habits of 

 this species in Tlx> .irlcufturriJ. ^frl</azi tie, New Series, 

 Vol. V., pp. 33-39; he brought home two specimens 



from South America, and kept them for some time in 

 captivity. They soiled the white plumage of their 

 underparts by bat hi;. -n hopping about on the 



earth floor, which prove.- the truth o-f my view that 

 sand alone should be used on the floor of flight-cages and 

 aviaries. 



K-BEAR]>E1> J AY (< ' I/a II -n'ora.!' i-i/n !ir>l>'>ij<_<ii \ . 



The forehead, crest. Cities ot' head, chin, throat. 

 edges of anterior breast feathers are jet black. A 

 the eye is a bright pale blue corona, and below the 

 a slightly sinuous deeper blue streak; from the lower 

 mandible backwards a broad bright ultramarine mous- 

 tache-like patch. The back o; crown and nape are 

 densely clothed with long lavender-whitish feat 

 which are erected simultaneously with the black- 

 on the front of the crown ; back slaty vinous brown, 

 becoming blacker on the wings, the flights and tail 

 being almost black, the latter broadly tipped with 

 white ; under parts from the breast backwards - 



HI;AD OK BLUE-BEARDED JAY IN KEPOSE. 



With crest, inul feathers of nape erected. 



white (usually discoloured in cabinet specimens, am? 

 therefore described as creamy), a few of the hinder 

 flank feathers blackish ; bill and feet black, iris amber 

 yellow. Female not differentiated, but probably with 

 a broader bill (viewed from above) than the male. Hab.. 

 Amazonia, Columbia, and Guiana. 



According to Bunneiste<r. this species has the same 

 habits as the European .lay. and, like it, feeds upon 

 insects as well as dry seeds, more particularly tho 

 forest trees. It is probable that its habits more nearly 

 resemble those of C I/<IH ncura.r </// //.--o/^. 



The same author says: " The male is more lively in 

 colouring than the female, and the nape especially i> 

 not pure white but ]iale sky-blue, which colour runs 

 down the sides of the neck to the breast ; the younp 

 bird resembles the female and may be distinguished 

 from it by the small crest." The colouring, however. 



