OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. 17 



quills. Both feet and bill are generally weaker than in the 

 Corvince, and the birds are less terrestrial, and more strictly 

 arboricole. Upon the ground, they advance usually by leaps. 

 The Jays constitute a striking contrast to their near allies, 

 the Crows, in usually possessing brighter and more conspic- 

 uous colors, blue being the most prominent ; and, in frequent- 

 ly having crests upon the head. The sexes differ but slightly 

 in plumage ; the changes therein being not as remarkable as 

 is customary among highly-colored birds. The ordinary 

 Blue Jay affords a well-known illustration of the habits and 

 traits common to the family. 



The Garr/di/itc, although they obtain their highest de- 

 velopment in the warmer portions of America, are discovered 

 in most parts of the globe. The genera of the Old and New 

 World entirely differ from each other, with the single boreal 

 exception of Pcrisoreus. 



The above characters will readily distinguish the American 

 Corvince and Gamtlincc, but may require considerable 

 modification in their application to the entire family. 



Cyanurus cristatus, Swain so it. 



The Blue Jay is nearly cosmopolitan in its distribution. It 

 is found throughout our continent, ranging from the Atlantic 

 Coast to the Mississippi Valley, and from Florida and Texas 

 on the south, nearly, if not quite, to the 56th parallel. 



Its habits are strikingly peculiar, and pregnant with interest. 

 For sagacity and a half-reasoning intelligence, it is scarcely 

 unsurpassed by any other bird. In its natural haunts, it is 

 exceedingly shy and suspicious, and can be approached only 

 with the greatest difficulty. But frequent intercourse with 

 man, in some parts of our section, has considerably modi- 

 fied its disposition, and confidence has usurped the place of 

 distrust, which is shown by nest-building sometimes occur- 

 ring in close proximity to the habitations of man. Some 

 fifteen years ago, in the rural portions of Philadelphia, near 

 the village of Bustleton, we frequently took nests in 

 3 



