284 



THE HUNTING CISSA. 



The Florida Jay, California Jay, Woodlawn Jay, Ultramarine Jay, Green Jay, Canada 

 Jay, and Brown Jay are of comparatively recent discoveries. 



The Canada Jay {Perisoreus canadensis) is strikingly different from other species. 

 We are apt to associate blue with the Jays. In this case there is a combmation of white and 

 gray. This bird is found from the Atlantic to the Pacific in the northern portions. Audubon 

 found it breeding, in Maine and New Brunswdck, and as far north as Labrador. When hard 

 pressed, like other Jays, it preys upon the young of other birds. It seeks the most unfre- 

 quented places, 

 keeping almost 

 constantly on the 

 ground, yet some- 

 times at twilight 

 mounts to the toji 

 of a small tree 

 and twitters its 

 notes. 



A European 

 species of this 

 bird is kno^vn un- 

 der the scientilic 

 tenn Perisoreus 

 in/austus, or Car 

 viis sihericus. It 

 is illustrated with 

 the nut - cracker 

 on page 301. 



The Green 

 Jay {XaHtJivra 

 luxiwsa) inhabits 

 the valley of the 

 Rio Grande, in 



Texas, and south waid. It is about the sizeot the preced- 

 ing, and is nearly as peculiar as that species, its green 

 and white being quite as singular. 



The Brown JxVY {PsilorJiiiius morio) is a much 

 larger bird, and differs from all others in being of a rich 

 umber-brown. It inhabits the Rio Grande region. 



HUNTINU CISfeA 





■ \i'S\'>^-^ 





Asia presents a most beautiful and interesting ex- 

 ample of this group of birds in the Hunting Cissa, 

 or Hunting Crow of India. 



This lovely bird is a native of Nepal, and is spread 

 thr-oughout the southeastern part of the Himalayas, and 

 in its own favored locality is far from scarce. Owing, 

 however, to certain peculiarities in the coloring, here- 

 after to be described, a specimen is very seldom obtained 



in iirst-rate condition, and never takes its place in our museums glowing in all the resplendent 

 tints with which it is so liberally gifted. It is a very brisk and lively bird, and, like many 

 others of the same group, is much given to imitating other birds, performing its mimicry with" 

 v'onderful truth, and copying not only their voices, but even their peculiar gestures. 



It is much more carnivorous in its tastes than would be imagined from an inspection of 



