corvidjE. 297 



aberrant examples of the typical structure. Without such information, and upon 

 characters apparently slender, we refrain from naming a group which cannot be 

 proved to exist in nature. — Sw. 



The only specimen brought home of the Short-billed Jay was killed on the roof 

 of the dwelling-house at Fort Franklin. Its general appearance and manners 

 resemble those of the Canada Jay or Whiskey-Jack so strongly, that we did not 

 recognise it as a distinct species, and consequently did not ascertain whether it 

 completely replaces the Canadian one in high latitudes, or whether both exist in 

 the same localities. 



DESCRIPTION 

 Of a female, killed May 26, 1826, lat. 65 1° N. 



Colour, bluish-grey, lightest on the rump and belly ; deepening on the head and wing 

 coverts to blackish-grey. Frontlet, orbits, chin, and ears blackish ; breast tinged with 

 yellowish-grey. Shafts of the quills and tail, and inner webs of the former, pitch-black ; 

 tips of the lesser quills and tail pale yellowish-grey, approaching to white. Bill blackish ; 

 commissure and tip pale. Legs blackish-brown. 



Form. — Bill the same as that of G. Canadensis, except that it is a little shorter, rather 

 broader at the base, and slightly narrower on the ridge : the rictal bristles are half its length. 

 Plumage looser than that of G. Canadensis, the barbs more widely separated. Wings three 

 inches shorter than the tail ; greater quills* as in C. Canadensis ; the secondaries propor- 

 tionally longer, and all end in slender, but very distinct points, scarcely discernible in the 

 Blue Jay, and not nearly so much developed in the Whiskey-Jack. Tail shorter than that 

 of the latter, but equally rounded. The tarsus, which is more robust, is protected anteriorly 

 with the same number of scutelli (eight) as that of G. Canadensis. 



Dimensions. 

 Inch. Lin. Inch. Lin. Inch. Lin. 



Length, total . . 10 Length of bill above . .0 8 Length of middle toe . 9 



,, of tail ..43 „ of bill to rictus . 10£ „ of its nail . .0 3£ 



,, of wing . .52 „ of tarsus • .16 „ of hind toe .05 



,, of hind nail . .0 4^ 



* The quills of the specimen had recently moulted, "and perhaps were not full grown. 



2 Q 



