210 CANADA JAY. 



The description of two young birds, one procured in Labrador, the 

 other in Nova Scotia, is, as to form and plumage, the same as that of the 

 adult given in vol. ii. p. 55, the latter however being corrected as fol- 

 lows : The bill, instead of being compressed, is broader than high at 

 the base, and moderately compressed only toward the end ; the fifth 

 quill is longest, the sixth and fourth nearly equal ; 'and the plumage is 

 remarkably soft, full, and loose, as in many Titmice. 



In the young the plumage is still looser, the filaments being distinct, 

 but the feathers are shorter than in the adult. The wings and tail are 

 similar. The bill is dusky, with the edges of both mandibles yellow ; 

 the feet as in the adult. The general tint is very deep dull slate co- 

 lour, paler on the abdomen ; the feathers at the base of the bill and 

 the ear-coverts greyish-black ; inner webs of the quills brownish-black ; 

 edges of the outer primaries yellowish-grey, of the rest bluish-grey ; 

 tips of all the quills, the three outer excepted, greyish-white ; tail ap- 

 proaching to dull leaden-grey, broadly tipped with dull yellowish- white. 

 Another young bird is similar, but with the bill darker, and a band of 

 dull white from the base of the lower mandible to the ears, as in the 

 individual represented in the plate. 



The specimen presented by Mr Peale, and preserved in spirits, '^ 

 presents the following characters. The tongue is triangular, flattened 

 above, tapering to a blunt emarginate point, and having a single pro- 

 minent papilla at the base on each side. The oesophagus is S^ inches 

 long, tapering, its diameter anteriorly | inch, below ^. Proventrictilus 

 4^ twelfths in breadth. The stomach is broadly elliptical, compressed, 

 11 twelfths long, 9 twelfths broad ; its muscular coat f twelfths in 

 thickness, not divided into distinct lateral and inferior muscles ; the 

 tendons elliptical, their greatest diameter 4 twelfths ; the epithelium 

 thin, tough, brownish-red, longitudinally marked with broad ruga?.] 

 The contents of the stomach are numerous remains of insects, a large] 

 hairy caterpillar, 2 inches long, and two persimon seeds. The intes- 

 tine is 17^ inches long. 



The trachea is 2 inches 5 twelfths long, flattened, tapering from 2 j 

 twelfths in breadth to 1 twelfth, of about 50 well ossified rings. Thej 

 inferior laryngeal muscles are large, and four in number on each side,! 

 exclusive of the sterno-tracheal. The bronchi are wide, of about 12] 

 cartilaginous half rings. 



