X16 ULTRAMARINE JAY. 



"Early in October, on arriving in the forests of the Columbia, near Fort 

 Vancouver, an establishment of the Hudson's Bay Company, we saw in the 

 same situations with the Steller's Jay, the present species. Its habits are 

 much like those of the Common Jay. It usually flies out to the tops of the 

 lofty pines, jerks its tail, and perches playfully on some extreme branch, 

 where it utters at times, as if excited by petulant anger, a strong tvhoit, woit, 

 woit, woit, after which expression it emits a sort of recognition-call at short 

 intervals, tivee, and sometimes a shorter 'twee 'twee. When much pursued, 

 it sits still in the concealing shade of the lofty branches on which it seeks 

 refuge. It feeds on insects, acorns broken up, and probably pine seeds. 

 They appear to associate in roving families throughout the fall and winter, 

 like the other species, seldom if ever associating with the more Common 

 Steller's Jay, though now and then perhaps in the same tree. It is a graceful, 

 active, and rather shy species, flying out straight from tree to tree, remark- 

 able by its long tail and rather short wings; and its note is much less harsh 

 and loud than that of Steller's Jay. They breed in the dark pine woods, 

 probably, where we so frequently saw them alight, and on the 15th of June 

 they were feeding their fully fledged young, two of which I pursued for some 

 time, but they skulked so effectually as to escape me after a long and doubtful 

 chase. The young had a great predominance of grey on the back. The 

 same species also extends into Upper California." 



Garrulcs ultramarinus, Bonap. Ultramarine Jay. 



Ultramarine Jay, Corvus ultramarinus, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iv. p. 456. 



Bill shorter than the head, strong, straight, compressed toward the end; 

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

 the sides sloping and becoming 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 rather short and broad, the dorsal outline 

 ascending and slightly convex, the sides convex, the edges sharp and directed 

 outwards, the tip narrow. Nostrils basal, roundish, covered by the 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; inner toe shorter than outer, 

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



Plumage full, soft, blended. Stiff feathers with disunited barbs over the 

 nostrils, the longest scarcely extending to a third of the length of the bill; 



