COB VIBJE — GARB ULIN^ : J A YS. 



419 



on belly ; the throat with whitish streaks ; wings dusky on the inner webs. Bill and feet 

 black. Iris brown. Length 11.00-12.00; extent. 16.50-19.00 ; wing 5.50-6.00; tail about 

 4.50 ; bill 1.33, but from 1.25-1.50; 9 smaller, duller. Kocky Mt. region ; much the same 

 elevated distribution as the last, but apparently rather more southerly ; decidedly gregarious, 

 and very abundant in some places. A remarkable bird, combining the form of a crow with 

 the color and habits of a jay, and a peculiarly shaped bill. It roves about in noisy restless 

 flocks, sometimes of thousands, in search of food, which is piue seeds, especially pifiones, juni- 

 per berries, acorns, etc. Breeds in colonies ; nest in pifion pines and other evergreens, compact 

 but bulky, of twigs, and fibrous bark-strips well worked together ; eggs 3-4, 1.25 X 0.87, 

 greenish-white, profusely spotted with light brown and purplish ; laid iu April. 



109. 



346. 



27. Subfamily CARRULIN/E: Jays. 



^ , ^ With the wings much shorter than or about 



a^-^^^^i- ^> equalling the tail, both rounded ; tip of the 



1, .X,., — ^^— - 's^^^S^P^t"^ ^-^i wine formed by the 4th-7th quills. The feet, 



'" ^~^ as well as the bill, are usually weaker than in 

 g^iJS!/^"' the true crows, and the birds are more strictly 

 j\;^^^ \' arboricole, usually advancing by leaps when on 

 %-^-vi- the ground, to which they do not habitually re- 

 ^"^^^^^■I^^^^^^^^J' sort. In striking contrast to most Corvina, the 

 rvi^^TSH^^^^^®^^" jays are usually birds of bright and varied colors, 

 ^^C^fflSm^^SK^^^fi^BB^^^^feSr-^ among which blue is the most prominent: and 

 C^'^^^^SIJ^SS^^^^^^f^K^^^ '^ '■^1^ head is frequently crested. The sexes are 

 ^^^ ^=5''"" nearly alike, and the changes of plumage do 

 Via. 272. --Euio^nn Ja,7 (Garrulus gtandanus). not appear to be as great as is usual among 

 (From Dixon.) highly-colored birds, although some diflFeroncos 



are frequently observable. Our well-known Blue Jay is a famiUar illustration of the habits and 

 traits of the species in general. They are found in most parts of the world, and reach their 

 highest development in the warmer portions of America. With one boreal exception (Peri- 

 soreus), the genera of the Old and New World are entirely different. 



It is proper to observe, that, while the American Corvinte and Garrulinm, upon which the 

 foregoing paragraphs are mainly drawn up, are I'eadily distinguishable, the characters given 

 may require modification in their application to the whole family, the different divisions of 

 which appear to intergrade closely. Our si.x genera are easily discriminated. 



Analysis of Genera. 

 Nostrils large, naked. 



Not cresteil. General eolor brown Psilorhinus lOD 



Nostrils moderate, covered by feathers. 



First primary attenuated, falcate : tail exceedingly long, graduated. 



Not crested. Colors black, wLite, and iridescent .... Pica lin 



First primary not attenuated. Tail moderate. 



Crested. Blue: wings and tail barrcil with black . Cyanocitta 111 



Not crested. Blue: wings and tail unbarred ... Aphelocoma 112 



Green and yellow, with blue and black on head Xanthura 113 



Gray, with slaty wings and tail . . ... Perisoreus 114 



PSIIiOKHI'NUS. (Gr. i^tXoi, psilos, smooth, bare, bald ; pi's, pivos, hris, hrinos, nose.) 

 Beown Jays. Smoky Pies. Nostrils exposed, large, rounded. Bill stout, with very convex 

 culinen, curved from the base. Wings and tail of about equal lengths, both rounded. Of 

 large size, and smoky-brown color ; not crested. 



P. mo'rio. (Lat. morio, " a dark brown gem.") Bkown Jay. Smoky-brown, darker on 

 head, fading on belly ; wings and tail with bluish gloss. Bill and feet black, sometimes yel- 



