MAGPIES, JAYS 



(483) Xanthoura luxuosa glau- 

 cescens Ridgway 



(Gr., yellow tail; Lat., luxurious, referring 

 to the rather gaudy plumage; Lat., growing 

 bluish). 



GREEN JAY. A crestless species 

 combining in its plumage subdued 

 tones of blue, green and yellow as 

 shown. The throat patch is of an 

 intense vch-ety black. The sexes 

 are alike, but immature birds are 

 duller plumaged, the blue on the head 

 being tinged with greenish. L., 

 11.50; Ex., 15.00; W.,4.75; T.,5.so. 

 Nest — Made of thorny twigs, lined 

 with weeds and rootlets; concealed 

 in thickets; four grayish, greenish 

 or buffy eggs, spotted with brown, 

 chiefly about the large end, 1.05 x .80. 



Range — Lower Rio Grande Valley 

 in southern Tex.; as far north as 

 Laredo; south through Mexico. 



Although other trees are often used in some localities, 

 small pines are generally preferred. The nests, composed 

 of twigs and rootlets, are usually within reach from the 

 ground. Before incubation of the eggs is far advanced, the 

 jay will sDently leave the tree by the back door if she sees 

 or hears any one approaching; when the eggs are nearly 

 hatched or there are young in the nest, they remain and 

 scream and dash at any one that attempts to disturb their 

 home. 



FLORIDA JAYS are crestless species found only locally 

 but quite abundantly in the Florida Peninsula. They 

 frequent almost exclusively scrubby oak thickets. Their 

 habits are practically the same as those of the Blue Jay, 

 and their notes are quite similar. 



CANADA JAYS, which are found from our northern 

 borders northward, have less beautiful plumage than our 

 Blue Jays, but in other respects they are no less interesting. 

 They have all the bad traits common to members of this 

 family, whUe their good ones can easily be written down with 



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