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base of the beak, and are hidden by stiff, forwardly-directed feathers ; while the 

 feathers of the crown of the head are long and erectile. The majority of the 

 species have white upper tail-coverts, and the wings barred with light blue : tin- 

 general colour of the body-plumage being fawn-red. Chiefly frequenting woods, 

 where their presence is revealed by their harsh, discordant cries, jays are 

 omnivorous, living on almost every description of animal and vegetable substance, 

 but changing their diet according to the season. 



True Jays. 



common jay [\ oat size). 



The true jays of the genus Garrulus are principally inhabitants 

 of the northern and temperate regions of the Old World, although 

 one species is found in Burma, a second is peculiar to Algeria, and a third is 

 confined to Japan. The common European jay (6?. glandarius) ranges through- 

 out Europe from Northern Russia and Scandinavia to Spain ami Italy: but is 

 replaced in Asia Minor by the black-headed jay (6r. IcynicJci) ; while in Eastern 

 Russia its place is taken by Brandt's jay (G. brandti), and in Syria by G. syriacus. 

 Shunning open country, the jay frequents large woods, where it often nests al only 

 a moderate elevation above the ground, laying usually six eggs, of a greyish white 



