162 CYANURVS CR1STATUS. 



CYANUEUS CEISTATUS. 



Blue Jay. 

 Cyanurus cristatus SWAINSON, F. Bor. Am., II; 1831. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. CH. Form, robust. Size, medium. Bill, rather thick and conical, with the upper mandible slightly curved. 

 Sternum, ratherstout. Tongue, broad, thin and horny, bifid, and provided with coarse, terminal cilia which extend a- 

 long tlie sides. Crest, not very long. 



COLOR. Adult. Above, blue, tinged with purplish, purest on the head. Wings and tail, pure dark-blue, with the 

 inner webs of the former dark-brown, and with the feathers of the latter, excepting central pair, as well as the secondaries, 

 tipped with white, and all are barred with black. The greater wing coverts are also barred with black and tipped with 

 white. Forehead, nasal feathers, ring around eye, and throat, dusky-white. Band across occiput, extending down on the 

 sides of head and connecting with a crescent on the breast by a longitudinal bar, black. Loral spot and under wing cov- 

 erts, also black. Remainder of breast, abdomen, and under tail coverts, white. Bill and feet, black. 



Young. Much duller above and with less white on the wings and tail. The black markings of the head, neck, and 

 breast are not as distinct, while there is rather more white below. 



Nestlings. Uniform slaty above, black on the head where there is only a short crest. Wings and tail, as in the above. 

 The black markings of the head, neck, and breast are present, but are rather brownish. The remainder of the lower parts 

 are quite white. Bill and feet, brown. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Occasionally the black crescent will be bordered above and below with bluish. Florida specimens, although somewhat 

 duller in color, especially below, are not very much smaller than more northern skins. Distributed as a constant resident 

 throughout Eastern North America. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of ten specimens from New England and Florida. Length, ll'OO; stretch, 16'25; wing, 5'32; 

 tail, 5'50; bill, 1'50; tarsus, 1'30. Longest specimen, 21'CO; greatest extent of wing, 17'CO; longest wing, 6'25; tail, 4'78; 

 bill, 1'15; tarsus, 1'40. Shortest specimen, HVOO; smallest extent of wing, 15'50; shortest wing, 4'40; tail, 5'00; bill, I'OO; 

 tarsus, 1-20. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in trees, composed of sticks and roots, lined with strips of cedar bark and rootlets. Dimensions, exter- 

 nal diameter, fi'OO, internal, 4'50. External depth, 3'50, internal, 2'00. 



Eyys,from four to five in number, oval in form, varying from yellowish-brown to grayish-green in color, spotted 

 and blotched with drab, and occasionally dotted with black. Dimensions from l'05x - 55 to l'20x'90. 



HABITS. 



I have said that the Crows were sagacious, but they certainly find rivals in this par- 

 ticular trait in the Blue Jay for it will be difficult to find a species which exhibits any more 

 sagacity than the present, in many points. The Crows are very fond of hearing their own 

 voices and in this they are also surpassed by the Jays which are certainly as garrulous 

 and as noisy birds as any of our native species. When the first frost has opened, the burs, 

 disclosing the dark-brown chestnuts within, then the Jays are supremely happy and their 

 loud cries resound through the still autumn air. They are extremely busy but utter their 

 cries as they pursue their vocation, for this is their harvest time, and they may be seen 

 flying toward the deep woods, laden with chestnuts which they deposit in some hiding 

 place as a winter store. They usually select some hole in a tree or perhaps a cavity behind 

 a lose strip of bark which they fill with nuts. But they do not confine all their attention 

 to the above named article of diet but will also gather acorns and, what is more unfortunate 



