18 



BLUE JAY. 



rica, as the same number of Magpies or Cuckoos would be m 

 Britain. 



It has been frequently said, that numbers of birds are com- 

 mon to the United States and Europe ^ at present, however, I am 

 not certain of many. Comparing the best descriptions and deli- 

 neations of the European ones with those of our native birds, said 

 to be of the same species, either the former are very erroneous, or 

 the difference of plumage and habits in the latter justify us in con- 

 sidering a great proportion of them to be really distinct species. 

 Be this however as it may, the Blue Jay appears to belong exclu- 

 sively to North America. I cannot find it mentioned by any writer 

 or traveller among the birds of Guiana, Brazil, or any other part 

 of South America. It is equally unknown in Africa. In Europe 

 and even in the eastern parts of Asia it is never seen in its wild 

 state. To ascertain the exact limits of its native regions would be 

 difficult. These, it is highly probable, will be found to be bounded 

 by the extremities of the temperate zone. Dr. Latham has indeed 

 asserted, that the Blue Jay of America is not found farther north 

 than the town of Albany.^ This, however, is a mistake. They 

 are common in the eastern states, and are mentioned by Dr. Belk- 

 nap in his enumeration of the birds of New Hampshire.! They 

 are also natives of Newfoundland. I myself have seen them in 

 Upper Canada. Blue Jays and Yellow Birds were found by Mr. 

 M'Kenzie, when on his journey across the continent, at the head 

 waters of the Unjigah, or Peace river, in N. lat. 54^. W. long. 121''. 

 on the west side of the great range of stony mountains. t Steller, 

 who in 1741 accompanied captain Behring in his expedition for 

 the discovery of the north-west coast of America, and who wrote 

 the journal of the voyage, relates, that he himself went on shore 

 near cape St. Elias, in N. lat. 58^ 28 ^ W. long. 141° 46', accord- 

 ing to his estimation, where he observed several species of birds 



* Synopsis, vol. i, p. 387. f Hist. N. Hamp. vol iii, p. 163, 



i Voyage from Montreal, &c. p. 216, quarto, Lond. 1801. 



