JAYS. 



is hardly pale sky-blue, because there is a suspicion of 

 red. in it which gives it a pearly-lavender hue. This 

 is one of the least expensive and most charming of all 

 the imported Corvidce. 



I purchased am example of this species early in 1895 

 in rough plumage, and have never regretted it. At 

 first it was ragged, dirty, and somewhat shy, but it 

 soon became wonderfully confiding and absolutely per- 

 fect in plumage ; it is no mimic, but will fly to me 

 when I call it and let me tickle and scratch it where I 

 please. Sometimes it puts down its head, stretches its 

 neck, does a sort of staid dance up and down the 

 perch, singing a weak, crooning sort of song, and 

 turning its head from side to side. It has several far- 

 reaching cries, one of which is almost metallic, whilst 

 another is almost like the yelp of a dog. Like all the 

 Jays, this species is very fond of bathing, so that 

 (excepting when in full moult) its plumage is always 

 clean and silky. If talked to, the bird sits still near 

 to the wire and erects its crest and the feathers of the 

 nape, puffing out the breast feathers ; then, if tickled 

 on the side of the breast, it gradually raises its neck 

 until all the feathers show separately. As a rule, it 

 objects to showing off before strangers, but if they 

 remain for an hour or two in the place its confidence is 

 restored. It is always in perfect health, and never 

 shows bare patches even when moulting. Respecting 

 its longevity if properly looked after there can be no 

 question ; for, as I write, my bird (after more than 

 fourteen years) is as vigorous and healthy as it ever 

 was.* 



BLACK-HEADED JAY (Cyanocorax vyanomelas). 



Violaceous brown ; wings and back pale brown, 

 slightly violaceous ; upper tail-coverts purplish-blue ; 

 tail deep purple ; frontal plumes velvety ; lores 

 blackish ; sides of head and throat darker brown than 

 the body ; breast, under wing-coverts and abdomen 

 washed with violet, becoming violaceous blue on under 

 tail-coverts. Female not differentiated, probably with 

 thicker bill (viewed from above). Hab., Brazil. 



I have found no notes on the wild life of this species. 

 An example reached the London Zoological Gardens in 

 1879, and another was exhibited the same year at the 

 show of the -35gintha Society in Berlin ; later, it 

 was received at the Berlin Gardens. 



AZUBK JAY (Cyanocorax cceruleus). 



Deep smalt-blue, brighter and more cobalt on the 

 rump and upper tail-coverts ; tail deep blue ; inner 

 webs of flights more or less black ; head, neck, and 

 throat to upper part of breast, black ; the back of 

 crown washed with blue ; bill and feet black. Hab., 

 S. Brazil, Paraguay, and North Argentina. 



White says that he found this bird at times in flock?, 

 that it makes a great noise, but is exceedingly wikj 

 and difficult to shoot. 



Mr. J. Graham Kerr (The Ibis, 1892, pp. 128, 129) 

 has the following observations on its habits: "Very 

 common in the hardwood forests, and occasionally stray- 

 ing out into the open. It has been described as being 

 extremely shy, but I found this to be the case only 

 with the scattered individuals one sees outside the 

 limits of the forest. Within the forest, where it is 

 usually found in company with C. chri/tnpx. it even 

 exceeds its companion in boldness and curiosity. It is 

 always the first to catch sight of a stranger within the 

 forest, hopping about in the branches all round him, 



* It died, after two or three days' illness, on the 10th Sentem- 

 rjer, 1909, unfortunately in. poor plumage, not having feathered 

 properly after its moult. 



peering at him curiously, and all the while raising an 

 alarm with harsh cries caa-caa-caa. The natural 

 boldness of the bird was well shown by the behaviour 

 of one shot in. the wing by Col. Racedo and given to 

 me. The wing was shattered at the carpal joint, so I 

 snipped off the entire maims and dusted iodoform over 

 the wound to stop the bleeding. The bird remained 

 for several hours very weak from shock and loss of 

 blood, but next morning was again quite lively. It 

 hopped about with the utmost confidence, ate and drank 

 out of my hand, and finally had the presumption to- 

 jump up on my knee and begin to tear pieces of flesh 

 out of a bird which I was dissecting at the time. 



" When out in the open, on the other hand, this 

 species is exceedingly wary and difficult of approach. 



" The flight of C. cceruleus is very weak and undulat- 

 ing, and its voice is restricted to a harsh scream, not 

 possessing the variety of that of C. chrysops." 



Russ says that this species arrives in the market 

 rarely and singly. In 1879 it reached the Zoological 

 Gardens of Amsterdam. The traveller Mangelsdorff 

 brought it home with him from Brazil in 1889 ; Miss 

 Hagenbeck imported it in 1891 and 1894, and in the 

 latter year it was to be seen in the Berlin Zoological 

 Gardens. 



PERUVIAN JAY (Xanthura incas). 



Above yellowish-green ; wings darker, the flights 

 bronzy towards tips of outer webs ; tail bright yellow, 

 excepting the two central feathers, which are deep blue- 

 green ; crown pale yellow, with opaline tints ; hind 

 neck bright yellow ; nasal bristles, frontal plumes, a 

 spot above eye, feathers below eye and cheeks deep 

 blue ; remainder of sides of head black ; chin slightly 

 bluish ; body below, from lower throat backwards, 

 bright yellow. Female not differentiated, probably 

 differing as in the species of Cyanocorax. Hab., 

 Western South America, from Peru to Ecuador. 



According to T. K. Salmon (" Proceedings of the 

 Zoological Society," 1879, p. 510), this Jay "has much 

 the habits of the English Jay, being ever on the move 

 and seldom silent, except when near its nest or when 

 at mischief. It robs the Indian corn-fields before the 

 grain is ripe, but at other times subsists on grubs and 

 insects. The nest is made of sticks and roots, and is 

 placed in a high bush. The number of eggs is four. 



'' Eggs, greenish-grey, thickly mottled wjth darker 

 shades of the same colour; axis 1.15, diameter .85." 



Two specimens of this species reached the London 

 Zoological Gardens in June, 1872. It is called Peruvian 

 Blue Jay by the Zoological Society, and Peruvian Green 

 Jay by Russ ; I think the best compromise is to drop- 

 the colour al together, as it is mostly yellow. 



MEXICAN JAY (Kanthura luxuosa). 



Green ; back and upper tail-coverts slightly bluish ; 

 secondaries darker green ; tail feathery mostly yellow 

 washed with green at base, the four central ones green, 

 the two central ones bluish ; crown deep blue, including 

 nasal bristles and frontal plumes, behind the latter a 

 band of white feathers ; sides of head and lower neck 

 black, the latter with green tips to the feathers ; front, 

 of cheeks and a small patch above and below back of 

 eye blue ; under surface paler green than the upper ; 

 under wing-coverts bright yellow ; bill black ; feet lead- 

 colour. Female not differentiated. Hab., Texas, 

 southward to Mexico. 



Captain Bendire (" Life-Histories of North American 

 Birds," Vol. II., pp. 383-385) publishes the following- 

 notes on the life-history of this Green Jay : " Mr. 

 D. B. Burrows, writing me from Roma, Texas, says, 



