AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



BLUE JAY. 

 CORVUS CRISTATUS. 

 [Plate I.— Fig. 1.] 



Linn. Syst. I, p. 157, 8. — Garruliis canadensis caruleus, Briss. II, p. 54, 2, t. ^;Jig. 2.— 

 Pica glandaria cristata, Klein, p. 61, 3. — Le Geay bleu du Canada, Buff. Ill, p. 120. 

 PL EnL 529.— Blue Jay, Catesb. Car. I, 15.— Edw. 22>9.—Arct. Zool. II, No. 138.— 

 Lath. Syn. I, p. 386, 20. — Bartram, />. 290. — Pe ale's Museum, No. 1290. 



THIS elegant bird, which, as far as I can learn, is peculiar 

 to North America, is distinguished as a kind of beau among the 

 feathered tenants of our woods, by the brilliancy of his dress ; and, 

 like most other coxcombs, makes himself still more conspicuous by 

 his loquacity, and the oddness of his tones and gestures. The Jay 

 measures eleven inches in length; the head is ornamented with a 

 crest of light blue or purple feathers, which he can elevate or de- 

 press at pleasure; a narrow line of black runs along the frontlet, 

 rising on each side higher than the eye, but not passing over it, as 

 Catesby has represented, and as Pennant and many others have 

 described it; back and upper part of the neck a fine light purple, 

 in which the blue predominates ; a collar of black, proceeding from 

 the hind head, passes with a graceful curve down each side of the 

 neck, to the upper part of the breast, where it forms a crescent; 

 chin, cheeks, throat and belly white, the three former slightly tinged 

 with blue; greater wing-coverts a rich blue; exterior sides of the 

 primaries light blue, those of the secondaries a deep purple, except 

 the three feathers next the body, which are of a splendid light blue ; 

 all these, except the primaries, are beautifully barred with cres- 



