CORVINE. NUCIFRAGA. Ill 



the southern and middle divisions of Scotland, as well as in 

 Ireland. It feeds on worms, larvae, snails, seeds, and fruits 

 of various kinds, plunders the nests of small birds, and pounces 

 on mice, and sometimes birds. The nest is built in a copse 

 or hedge ; the eggs, from five to seven, somewhat smaller, and 

 of a broader form than those of the Magpie, are an inch and 

 a quarter long, ten and a half twelfths broad, pale bluish- 

 grey, or greyish, faintly freckled with yellowish-brown and 

 pale purplish-grey. Its cry is harsh and varied, and it is said 

 to imitate the notes of other birds. 

 Common Jay. Jay Pie. Jay Pyet. 

 Corvus Glandarius, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 256. Corvus Glan- 



darius and Garrulus Glandarius, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. i. 



114 ; iii. 65. Garrulus Glandarius, Blue-winged Jay, Mac- 



Gillivray, Brit. Birds, i. 576. 



GENUS XXXI. NUCIFRAGA. NUTCRACKER. 



Bill rather long, moderately stout, conical, slightly com- 

 pressed, but with the tip depressed ; upper mandible with 

 the dorsal line almost straight, being but slightly arcuate, 

 the ridge rather narrow, but convex, the sides very convex, 

 the edges sharp, with a very obscure sinus close to the de- 

 pressed, obtuse tip : lower mandible with the angle very 

 short, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the 

 edges sharp and inflected, the tip rather blunt and a little 

 depressed ; gape-line very slightly arched. Nostrils rather 

 small, round, concealed by the shortish reversed feathers. 

 Eyes of moderate size, eyelids feathered. Aperture of the 

 ear roundish, moderate. Head large, ovate ; neck short ; 

 body compact : legs of moderate length ; tarsi compressed, 

 with eight or ten scutella, posteriorly sharp-edged, with two 

 plates ; toes of moderate size, the first large, the second a 

 little shorter than the outer, which is adherent at the base, 

 all with large scutella ; claws long, arched, much com- 

 pressed, acute. Plumage soft and blended ; feathers on the 

 head short ; those at the base of the upper mandible linear, 

 stiffish, directed forwards ; no distinct bristles ; wings of 

 moderate length, much rounded, the first quill very short, 

 the fourth longest, the fifth scarcely shorter ; tail of mode- 

 rate length, a little rounded. 



