cuuvij).!-: THE tntuus. 301 



isotlu'rniul lino of this ivijinii ])iis.sfs soutli of ("iiuMiiiiiiti, shows tliiit cliiiiate 

 and toni])ei'iitiu'i! chi not roj^'iilate tlio lanyo of this simcios. As olisuivcd in 

 thi! snninior niontlis anionu; tlio forests oi' Orej^on, the Canada .lay appeared 

 as a ratlier sliy hird, exhiliitin^ none of the familiarity anil inipudenee ex- 

 hibited in winter wlien made hold liy hunj^er. 



Wilson mentions the St. Lawrenee as the southern boundary of tliis bird, 

 a few only winteriii"; in Nortliern New York and Vermont. lUit tliis is 

 inexact. Tluiy are found resident tiiroughout the year in a large part of 

 Maine and in all the higidands of New Hampshire and Vermimt. They 

 are resident at Calais, wliere they breed in ^hirch at about latitude 45", and 

 de.sceud in tiie winter to tlie soutlnvest eoruer of Vermont, whenee it is 

 (juite ])robable a few eross into Massaehu.setts, at William.stown and Adams, 

 tiioiij;]! none have been detected, tiiat I am aware. Wilson himself states 

 that lie was informed by a pMitlunan residing near Hiulson, N. Y., that these 

 l)irds have been observed in tliat neighborhood in the winter. 



Dr. Coues met with these birds in Labrathir. The lirst he saw were in a 

 dense spruce forest. These were very shy, aligiiti"g only on the tops of tlie 

 tallest trees, and flying off witli loud harsh screams on las approaih. Sub- 

 sciinently, at IJigolet, he found them abundant and very familiar. One or 

 more were always to be seen hopping unconciirnedly in the garden-patches 

 siround the liouses, not in the least disturlied by tiie near presence of man, 

 and showing no signs of I'ear even when very closely approached. Ho 

 descrilies tiieir voice as a harsh, discordant scream. 



Mr. Edward Harris, ol' jMoorestown, N. J., informed Mr. Audubon, that 

 once, when lislung in a canoe in one of the lakes in the interior of Maine, 

 these Jays were so tearless as to light on one end of his boat while he sat in 

 the other, and helped themselves to his Ijait without taking any notice of 

 him. 



A nest of the Canada Jay, found by Mr. IWrdman near St. Stepiien's, 

 New Brunswick, nieiisures four and a inilf inches in diameter and three 

 inches in height. Tlie cavity is about three inches wide and two deep. The 

 nest is woven above a rude platform of sticks and twigs crossed and inter- 

 laced, furnishing a rougiily made hemispherical ba.se and perii»hery. Tpon 

 this an inner and more artistic nest has been wrought, nuule of a soft felting 

 of fine mosses closely impacted and lined with feathers. The nest contained 

 three eggs. 



The egg of the Canada Jay measures 1.20 inches in lengtli, by .82 of an 

 inch in breadth. They are of an oblong-oval sliape, and are more tapi'ring 

 at the smaller end tliau are most of the eggs t)f this family. The ground- 

 color is of a liglit gray, witli a sliglitly yeHowi.sh tinge over the entire 

 egg, rincly marked, more abundantly about tlie larger end, with iioints 

 and blotches of slute-color and brown, and faint cloudings of an obscure 

 lilac. 



