CANADA JAY. 



CORVUS CAjYADEjVSIS. 

 [Plate XXL— Fig. 1.] 



Linn. Si/st. 153.— Cinereous CroWy Arct. Zool. p. 248. No. 137. — Latham, L 389. — Le 

 Geay Brun de Canada, Brisson, IL 54. — Buffon, III. 117. 



WERE I to adopt the theoretical reasoning of a celebrated 

 French naturalist, I might pronounce this bird to be, a debased 

 descendant from the common Blue Jay of the United States, de- 

 generated by the influence of the bleak and chilling regions of 

 Canada ; or perhaps a spurious production, between the Blue Jay 

 and the Cat-bird : or what would be more congenial to the Count's 

 ideas, trace its degradation to the circumstance of migrating, some 

 thousand years ago, from the genial shores of Europe, where 

 nothing like degeneracy or degradation ever takes place among 

 any of God's creatures. I shall, however, on the present occa- 

 sion, content myself with stating a few particulars better sup- 

 ported by facts, and more consonant to the plain homespun of 

 common sense. 



This species inhabits the country extending from Hudson's 

 Bay, and probably farther north, to the river St. Lawrence ; also 

 in winter the inland parts of the District of Maine, and northern 

 tracts of the states of Vermont and New York. When the season 

 is very severe, with deep snow, they sometimes advance farther 

 south ; but generally return northward as the weather becomes 

 more mild. 



The character given of this bird by the people of those parts 

 of the country where it inhabits, is, that it feeds on black moss, 

 worms, and even flesh ; — when near habitations or tents pilfers 



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