





SPECIES 6. CORPUS CRISTATUS. 



BLUE JAY. 

 [Plate!. Fig 1.] 



LINN. Syst. i, p. 106, JVo. 8, ed. 10. Garrulus canadensis coeru- 

 leus, BRISS. n, p. 55. Pica glandaria cristata, KLEIN, p. 61, 

 3. Le Geai bleu de I'Jlmerique Septentrionale, BUFF, in, p. 

 120. PL EnL 529. JWe Jay, CATESB. Car. i, 15. -Bow. 239. 

 Arct. Zool. n, JVo. 138. LATH. 8yn. i,p. 386, 20. BARTRAM, 

 ;;. 290. PEALE'S Museum, No. 1290. 



THIS elegant bird, which, as far as I can learn, is peculiar 

 to North America, is distinguished as a kind of beau among the 

 feathered tenants of our woods, by the brilliancy of his dress; 

 and like most other coxcombs, makes himself still more con- 

 spicuous by his loquacity, and the oddness of his tones and 

 gestures. The Jay measures eleven inches in length; the head 

 is ornamented with a crest of light blue or purple feathers, which 

 he can elevate or depress at pleasure; a narrow line of black 

 runs along the frontlet, rising on each side higher than the eye, 

 but not passing over it, as Catesby has represented, and as Pen- 

 nant and many others have described it; back and upper part of 

 the neck a fine light purple, in which the blue predominates; a 

 collar of black proceeding from the hind-head, passes with a 

 graceful curve down each side of the neck, to the upper part of 

 the breast, where it forms a crescent; chin, cheeks, throat and 

 belly, white, the three former slightly tinged with blue; greater 

 wing coverts a rich blue; exterior sides of the primaries light 

 blue, those of the secondaries a deep purple, except the three 

 feathers next the body, which are of a splendid light blue; all 

 these, except the primaries, are beautifully barred with cres- 



