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Genus GARRULUS. 



Garrulus, Brisson, Orn. ii. p. 46 (1760). 

 Corvus apud Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 156 (1766). 

 Glandarius apud Koch, Baier. Zool. i. p. 99 (1816). 

 Lanius apud Nilsson, Orn. Suec. i. p. 75 (1817). 



The true Jays, of which, according to Mr. Sharpe (Cat. B. Brit. Mus. vol. iii.), there are altogether 

 fourteen species known, inhabit the Palsearctic, Ethiopian, and Oriental Regions, five species 

 being found in the Western Palsearctic Begion. 



They frequent forests, groves, and gardens, are habitually shy and wary, shunning the 

 presence of man, and feed on insects, fruits, &c, as also on small birds and mammals ; and they 

 frequently rob other birds of their eggs, which they suck. Their flight is direct and strong ; and 

 their note is loud, discordant, and harsh. They construct a rather large cup-shaped nest of sticks 

 and twigs lined with fine roots and grasses, which they place on a tree or bush, and deposit 

 greyish or greenish-white eggs spotted with pale brown. 



Garrulus glandarius, the type of the genus, has the bill moderately long, stout, the upper 

 mandible curved towards the point, the lower one also curved upwards from about the centre; 

 gape-line straight ; nostrils basal, covered by bristly feathers directed forwards ; plumage on the 

 crown full, and inclined to form a crest ; wings rather short, rounded, the first quill shorter than 

 the inner secondaries, the second shorter than the eighth, the fourth or fifth longest ; tail long, 

 even or slightly emarginate; tarsus long, covered in front with five large and three inferior 

 scutellse ; toes moderate ; claws rather short, stout, curved, acute. 



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