Photo by George Shiras, 3rd 

 TTIE ALASKA ( ') (IR CANADA JAY: THE MOST TYPICAL XON-GAME BIRD OF THE 



NORTHERN WILDERNESS 



The above is a photograph of a non-migratory and Northern jay, taken on Skilak Lake, 

 and which, as a species, is indigenous to tlie upper wilderness from Newfovuidland to Bering" 

 Sea and southwardly to the lower provinces and most of the border States. While tame and 

 fearless to a degree toward casual visitors, it dislikes and avoids permanent human habita- 

 tions, single or collective. It is a bird, too, of many local names — whiskey jack, moose bird, 

 camp robber, and meat bird. Originally classified as the Canada jay (Perisoreus canadensis). 

 the effort now to differentiate the Alaska bird, on a minor if not a variable color phase, is 

 regarded as a mistake by most lovers of the North woods. If there is any bird on the Ameri- 

 can continent of similarly extended distribution and localized environment which retains a 

 greater and more remarkable tmiformity in color, size, shape, habits, basic notes, diet, and 

 disposition, the writer is ignorant of such. The sub-species, Labrador jay, ought to be the 

 limit in this direction. 



The clear, warm weather, with an 

 unusual amount of winter snow remain- 

 ing on the mountain ranges, had caused 

 the river to overfl(jw its banks. The 

 rapid current now made it possible to 

 cover the 1 6 miles to the lake in a few 



hours, and this condition had prevented 

 any boat coming upstream for several 

 weeks. It may be stated in advance that 

 the hot weather continued until the first 

 week in September, and so. on our re- 

 turn. it_ required four days of the hardest 



432 



