





CORVID.E. 









i 



595 









Dimensions. 















Inch. 



Lin. 





Inch. 



Lin. 





Inch. 



Lin. 



Length, total 



14 







Length of bill to rictus . 



1 



4± 



Length of inner toe 







n 



,, of tail 



. G 



3 



,, of tarsus 



. 1 



8 



,, of hind toe 



. 



6| 



„ of wing 



. G 







„ of middle toe 







11 



„ of hind nail 







H 



,, of bill above . 



. 1 



1 



„ of its nail 



. 



H 









[98.] 3. Garrulus Canadensis. The Whiskey-Jack. 



Sub-family, Garrulinse, Swains. Genus, Garrulus, Briss., Vieil. Sub-genus, ? 



Corvus Canadensis. Forster, Phil. Trans., lxii., p. 386, No. 10. 



Cinereous Crow. Penn. Arct. Zool, ii., p. 248, No. 137. 



Canada Jay {Corvus Canadensis). Wils. iii., p. 33, pi. 20, f. 1. 



Garrulus fuscus. Vieil. Ency. Mith., p. 892. 



Corvus Canadensis. Sab. Frankl. Journ., p. G72. Bonap. Syn., No. Go. 



Quaequashew, Algonquins. Whiskse-shawneesh, Crees. 



Ch. Sp. Garrulus Canadensis, super murinus ; subter flavescenti-griseus, oceipite et nucha nigris, fronte gutture 



lateribusque colli albis. 

 Sp. Ch. Whiskey-Jack, brownish-grey above, yellowish-grey beneath ; hind head and nape black ; forehead, 



throat, and sides of the neck white. 



This inelegant but familiar Jay inhabits the woody districts from latitude 65° 

 to Canada, and in the winter time makes its appearance in the northern sections 

 of the United States. Scarcely has the winter traveller in the fur-countries chosen 

 a suitable place of repose in the forest, cleared away the snow, lighted his fire, 

 and prepared his bivouac, when the Whiskey-Jack pays him a visit, and boldly 

 descends into the circle to pick up any crumbs of frozen fish or morsels of pem- 

 mican that have escaped the mouths of the hungry and weary sledge-dogs. 

 This confidence compensates for the want of many of those qualities which endear 

 others of the feathered tribes to man. There is nothing pleasing in the voice, 

 plumage, form, or attitudes of the Whiskey-Jack ; but it is the only inhabitant of 

 those silent and pathless forests which, trusting in the generosity of man, fearlessly 

 approaches him ; and its visits were, therefore, always hailed by us with satisfac- 

 tion. It is a constant attendant at the fur-posts and fishing-stations, and becomes 

 so tame in the winter as to eat from the hand ; yet it is impatient of confinement, 

 and soon pines away if deprived of liberty. It hops actively from branch to 

 branch, but, when at rest, sits with its head retracted and the plumage of the body 

 very loose. Its voice is plaintive and squeaking; though it occasionally makes 



