4 1 NUCIFRA GAPERISOREUS 



Hob. Northern Europe, the hilly portions of Central and 

 Southern Europe ; in Scandinavia at least up to 63 N. Lat. 

 but rare ; Northern Asia east to Japan ; of rare occurrence in 

 Great Britain. 



As a rule the Nutcracker is a resident, but in some seasons 

 considerable numbers wander throughout the country, probably 

 in search of food. In general habits it somewhat resembles the 

 Jay but is much less lively, and frequents conifer woods in 

 mountain districts. Its food consists of seeds, especially those 

 of conifers, hazel- and beechnuts, acorns, berries, and to some 

 extent of insects. Its flight is heavy and seldom protracted, 

 and its call-note is a harsh protracted krak, krtik, krcik, and 

 when alarmed, dsclurr, dsclurr. Its nest is placed on a tree, 

 usually a conifer, is constructed of twigs, interwoven with 

 lichens, and lined with lichen and dry grass. The eggs, which 

 are usually deposited in March or April, 3 to 5 in number, are 

 pale whitish sea-green finely marked with pale liver-brown, and 

 measure about 1*31 by 1. Specimens from Siberia have the 

 bill thinner, and have been separated subspecifically under 

 the name Nudfraga macrorhynchus, C. L. Brehm, whereas those 

 from Japan have the bill intermediate in size (N. japonicus, 

 Hartert), and those from Kamchatka are whiter (N. kamchat- 

 kensis, Barrett Hamilton). In Kashmir the present species is 

 replaced by N. multimaculata, and in the Himalayas east to 

 Moupin by N. hemispila. 



PEBISQREUS, Bp., 1838. 



584. SIBERIAN JAY. 

 PERISOREUS INFAUSTUS. 



Perisoreus infaustus (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 138 (1766) ; (Naum.) xiii- 

 p. 215, Taf. 350 ; (Gould), B. of E. iii. pi. 215 ; Dresser, iv. p. 471, 

 pi. 253 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. iii. p. 103 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. 

 p. 507. 



Ungliicks-Heher, German ; Ulykkesfugl, Dan. ; Lavskrige, 

 Norw. ; Lafskrika, Swed. ; Gnovsak, Lapp. ; Kuukainen, Kusan- 

 kanarhi, Finn. ; Rousha, Russ. 



ad. (Lapland). Crown and nape sooty brown ; back and under parts 

 lead-grey, rump and upper tail-coverts fox-red, as are all the tail-feathers 

 except the two middle ones which are lead-grey ; the rest tipped with 

 grey ; wings sooty brown, the outer webs of the quills fox-red, the wing- 

 coverts chiefly red ; abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts rufous ; beak 

 and legs black ; iris brown. Culmen T05, wing 5'6, tail 5'7, tarsus 1'4 

 inch. Sexes alike. The young bird is duller and paler in colour. 



