PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 9 



14 in. [356 mm.]. (PL 6.) The female is duller, the young still more so. The 

 latter have the irides brown instead of blue, and the feathers on the crown and 

 forehead spotted instead of striped. 



2. Distribution. The jay is a species subject to considerable local variation, 

 and our British birds (G, glandarius rufttergum, Ht.) differ slightly from the ordinary 

 continental form, while other local races are found in South Spain, Sardinia and 

 Corsica, North-west Africa, Syria, Asia Minor, Cyprus, the shores of the Caspian, 

 etc. It holds its own in spite of game-preserving in England and Wales, but 

 is very local in Ireland, being confined to Leinster and part of Munster, while in 

 Scotland it is of very rare occurrence north of the Grampians. [F. c. R. j.] 



3. Migration. It is said that immigrants from the Continent arrive on our 

 east coast occasionally in the autumn. [F. c. R. j.] 



4. Nest and Eggs. Nesting place : the fork of a bush or tree, usually from 

 10-20 feet above the ground, but sometimes 60 feet or even more. Nest: twigs and 

 stems, very neatly lined with an interlaced mass of fine roots, more rarely dry 

 grasses or horse-hair. (PL 6.) Both sexes share in its construction (Bailly, Ornith. 

 de la Savoie). The eggs, 4-6, sometimes 7, in number, are a pale brownish or 

 greyish green, closely speckled all over with shades of olive-green, and often marked 

 with black hair-streaks at the big end. Some varieties tend to pinkish colouring, 

 while others show a distinctly blue ground. (PL A.) Average size of 100 British 

 eggs, 1*25 x -89 in. [31*73 x 22'85 mm.]. Laying begins in April-May. Both sexes 

 incubate. Period of incubation about 16 days. One brood. [F. c. R. J. F. B. K.] 



5. Food. As the magpie. To its love for acorns, chestnuts, and the like, the 

 species owes the name glandarius. Both parents feed the young (Bailly, op. cit.). 



6. Song Period. See p. 57. 



CHOUGH [Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax (Linnaeus); P. grdcidus (L.). Red- 

 legged-crow or daw, Cornish-daw or crow, cliff-daw, chauk-daw, Kiligrew- 

 crow. French, crave ; German, Steinkrahe]. 



i. Description. Black with steel-blue, violet, and green reflections. Easily 

 distinguished from its congeners by its red legs and bill, the latter being curved. 

 Length 16 in. [406 mm.]. (PL 7.) Female smaller and less brilliant. The young 

 have the beak at first short and straight. It begins to curve at the end of the 

 first fortnight (Field, 1907, June, p. 870, J. Walpole Bond). Both beak and legs 

 pass through various stages of yellow and red, and do not reach the adult colour 

 till after the first autumn moult. [F. B. K.] 



B 



