THE CANADA JAY. 367 



plumbeous ; the outer primaries margined : the secondaries, tertials, and tail feathers 

 obscurely tipped with white ; beneath smoky-gray ; crissum whitish ; bill and feet 

 black. 



The young of this species are everywhere of a dull sooty-brown, lighter on the 

 middle of the belly, and more plumbeous on the wings and tail; with increasing 

 age, the region about the base of the bill whitens, and this color gradually extends 

 backwards until the whole head, excepting the occiput and nape, is white; the 

 under parts are sometimes whiter than in the typical specimens. 



Length, ten and seventy one-hundredths inches ; wing, five and seventy-five one- 

 huudredths inches; tail, six inches; tarsus, one and forty one-hundredths inches. 



This species is confined to the northern districts in New 

 England, where it is resident through the year. I have 

 not been so fortunate as to find the nest, and will have to 

 borrow Audubon's description of that and the eggs: 



" The Canada Jay breeds in Maine, in New Brunswick, Nova 

 Scotia, Newfoundland, and Labrador. It begins as early as Feb- 

 ruary or March to form its nest, which is placed in the thickest 

 part of a fir-tree, near the trunk, and at a height of from five to 

 ten feet. The exterior is composed of dry twigs, with moss and 

 grass ; and the interior, which is flat, is formed of fibrous roots. 

 The eggs, which are from four to six, are of a light-gray color, 

 faintly marked with brown." 



This bird is not generally so well known as the preceding. 

 I have had numerous opportunities for observing its habits, 

 and I can positively affirm that it is equally rapacious and 

 destructive with the Blue Jay, which it resembles in motions 

 and cry. 



I once knew of a single pair of these birds destroying the 

 young in four nests of the Common Snowbird (J. hy emails) 

 in a single day. I found these nests in an old abandoned 

 lumber-road on the morning of June 20 : in the afternoon, 

 when I returned through the same path, every nest was 

 depopulated ; and a pair of these Jays were lurking in the 

 trees, shouting defiance at us, while surrounded by the 

 afflicted Snowbirds, that were uttering their cries of com- 

 plaint and sorrow. I emptied both barrels of my gun in 

 the direction of the Jays, and I am inclined to think that 



