472 



Female. Similar to the male. 



Young (Quickjock, 14th June). Differs from the adult bird in being much duller in colour, and the rufous 

 portions of the plumage being not so bright. 



This aberrant Jay is in Europe an inhabitant of the high northern districts of Scandinavia, 

 rarely, if ever, straggling into Northern Germany ; but in Asia it is found as low as the island of 

 Saghalien. It has not been met with in Great Britain, Iceland, or Greenland ; but as regards its 

 occurrence in Scandinavia, Mr. Collett informs me that it breeds numerously in the interior of 

 Lapland, more especially in the eastern part, and but sparingly to the south towards the forests 

 of Trondhjems stift, more commonly, however, to the south of Trondhjems fiord. Numbers are 

 found in all the conifer-woods of Hamar stift, which cover the highlands, as in the Gudbrandsdale, 

 Osterdale, and in Valders down to Land — in the highlands round Mjosen, as, for instance, on the 

 Spreifjeld of Thoten — and here and there down to Nordmarken, near Christiania, in the Nume- 

 dale, on Modum, and in Lier. It has even been known to breed as far south as 59^° N. lat. in 

 Christiansands stift, in Thelemarken, and during the autumn has been met with at Nses iron- 

 works, in 58^° N. lat. Thus in Norway it is found over an area embracing eleven degrees of 

 latitude. It is generally met with during the breeding-season in the upper part of the fir-region, 

 and has never been observed on the west coast of Norway where the pine does not grow. 

 Professor Sundevall records its range on the Swedish side as " above that of the Common Jay." 

 It is said to occur as far south as the Dal-elf, in about 60^° N. lat., but it is not common below 

 62°. Northwards it is met with as high as the conifer-growth extends, and even into the birch- 

 region. At Alten and in East Finmark it is numerous in 70° N. lat., but is not found at Ham- 

 merfest. It seldom wanders far from its summer haunts ; and its winter quarters are therefore 

 much the same as those it inhabits at other seasons of the year, though stragglers occasionally 

 wander further to the south. Thus it has been recorded as having been seen near Stockholm, 

 and even in Smaland; but these occurrences require corroboration. Dr. It. Sundstrom also 

 refers to the above-recorded occurrence at Stockholm, and further states that one was killed in 

 the month of May near the town of Askersund, in Southern Nerike. It is, he states, " most 

 common in the conifer-woods of Norrland and Lapland, but is found in Northern Wermland in 

 the autumn and winter. In the high north it is exceedingly tame ; and no bird is more curious, 

 for it cannot refrain from examining any strange object. If one meets with a family of Siberian 

 Jays in any quiet place, they can be shot down one after another ; for they merely fly to the next 

 tree when a shot is fired. On the fells it is generally found in the conifer-region, but sometimes 

 penetrates into the birch-region." On the Finnish side it is met with in the high north; but 

 Von Wright records it as having occurred as far south as Helsingfors, where, however, it is 



o 



rare. I saw several above Abo, and thence up to Uleaborg, when travelling along the coast, 

 generally meeting with them on the sides of the roads which are cut through the forests. It is 

 not uncommon in Northern Eussia. Mr. Meves met with it tolerably often in the large woods 

 in the Archangel Government, more especially when travelling from Onega to Archangel and to 

 Kargopol ; and Mr. Sabanaeff informs me that it " breeds in the Governments of Jaroslaf, 

 Wladimir, and even Moscow, but rarely in the last Government. It is probably found during 

 the summer near Odoeff, in the Government of Toula; and Eversmann states that it breeds in 



