108 STELLER'S JAY. 



colour, with small olive-brown specks, varied with others of rather a violet 

 hue, both the male and female flew at me with the utmost anger and agita- 

 tion, deafening me almost with their cries and entreaties. But though I 

 took only two of their eggs, I found next day that they had forsaken the 

 nest, being too fearful and jealous of the intrusion to remain any longer in 

 the same place. The nest as usual was bulky, made of interlaced twigs, and 

 roots, with a stout layer of mud, and lined with black root-fibres. I saw the 

 nest about ten days previous to the time of taking two of the four eggs. On 

 that occasion the female (probably) only followed me in silence." 



Corvds Stelleri, Gmel. Linn. Syst. Nat., vol. i. p. 370. 



Corvus Stelleri, Bonap. Syn., p. 433. 



Steller's Jay, Corvus Stelleri, Bonap. Araer. Orn., vol. ii. p. 44. 



Garrdlds Stelleri, Stellei^s Jay, Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Araer., vol. ii. p. 294. 



Steller's Jay, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 229. 



Steller's Jay, Corvus Stelleri, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iv. p. 453. 



Male, 13, wing, 5|i 



Rocky Mountains, Columbia river, and North-west coast. Common. Mi- 

 gratory. 



Adult Male. 



Bill shorter than the head, strong, straight, a little compressed; upper 

 mandible with the dorsal line declinate and convex toward the end, the sides 

 sloping and becoming more convex toward the tip, which is declinate, thin 

 edged and obtuse, the edges sharp and overlapping, with a slight notch; 

 lower mandible straight, the angle short and broad, the dorsal outline ascend- 

 ing and slightly convex, the sides convex, the edges sharp and directed out- 

 wards, the tip narrow. Nostrils basal, roundish, covered by reversed bristly 

 feathers. 



Head large, ovate, eyes of moderate size; neck rather short; body com- 

 pact. Legs of moderate length, strong; tarsus much compressed, with seven 

 large anterior scutella, and two long plates behind, meeting so as to form a 

 sharp edge. Toes stout, with large scutella, the outer adherent as far as its 

 second joint to the middle toe; first very strong; lateral toes nearly equal, 

 third much longer. Claws strong, arched, compressed, sharp. 



Plumage full, soft, blended; stiff bristly feathers with disunited barbs over 

 the nostrils, some of them extending a third of the length of the bill; at the 

 base of the upper mandible several longish slender bristles. The feathers 

 on the top of the head and occiput linear-oblong, slightly recurved, and 

 forming an erectile crest an inch and a half in length. Wings of moderate 

 length, convex, and much rounded; the first quill very short, the second an 

 inch and a quarter longer, the third nine-twelfths longer than the second, 



