192 HISTORY OF 



To this tribe we may refer the Jay, which is 

 one of the most beautiful of the British birds. 

 The forehead is white, streaked with black ; the 

 head is covered with very long feathers, which it 

 can erect into a crest at pleasure ; the whole 

 neck, back, breast, and belly, are of a faint pur- 

 ple, dashed with grey ; the wings are most beau- 

 tifully barred with a lovely blue, black, and 

 white ; the tail is black, and the feet of a pale 

 brown. Like the magpie, it feeds upon fruits, 

 will kill small birds, and is extremely docile. 



The Chatterer also, which is a native of Ger- 

 many, may be placed in this rank ; and is some- 

 what less than the former. It is variegated with 

 a beautiful mixture of colours ; red, ash colour, 

 chesnut, and yellow: but what distinguishes it 

 from all other birds, are the horny appendages 

 from the tips of seven of the lesser quill feathers, 

 which stand bare of beards, and have the colour 

 and gloss of the best red sealing-wax. , 



The Roller is not less beautiful than any of the 

 former. The breast and belly are blue ; the head 

 green ; and the wings variegated with blue, black, 

 and white. But it may be distinguished from all 

 others by a sort of naked tubercles or warts near 

 the eyes, which still farther contribute to increase 

 its beauty. 



To this class may be added a numerous list 

 from all the tropical forests of the East and West ; 

 where the birds are remarkable for discordant 

 voices and brilliant plumage. I will fix only upon 

 one, which is the most singular of all the feather- 

 ed creation. This is the Toucan, a bird of the 



