22 



ISLAND LIFE. 



[part I. 



sub-species. It seems to be found in all the southern mountains 

 of China, from Foochow on the east to Sze-chuen and East Thibet 

 on the west, as it is recorded from Moupin by the Abbe David 

 as well as the Himalayan bird — a tolerable proof that it is a 

 distinct form. 



10. GctTTuhis taivanus. — The Formosan jay is a very close ally 

 of the preceding, confined to the island of Formosa. 



11. Garrulus japonicus. — The Japanese jay is very closely 

 allied to our common British species, being somewhat smaller 

 and less brightly coloured, and with black orbits ; yet these are 

 the most widely separated species of the genus. 



12. Garrulus lidthi. — This is the handsomest of all the 

 jays, the head, neck, and wings' being azure blue. Its locality 

 was long doubtful, but it has now been ascertained to inhabit 

 Japan, where it is evidently very rare, its exact habitat being 

 still unknown. 



In the accompanying map (see frontispiece) we have laid down 

 the distribution of each species so far as it can be ascertained 

 from the works of Sharpe and Dresser for Europe, Jerdon for 

 India, Swinhoe for China, and Messrs. Blakiston and Pryer for 

 Japan. There is, however, much uncertainty in many places, 

 and gaps have to be filled up conjecturally, while such a large 

 part of Asia is still very imperfectly explored, that considerable 

 modifications may have to be made when the country becomes 

 more accurately known. But though details may be modified 

 we can hardly suppose that the great features of the several 

 specific areas, or their relations to each other, will be much 

 affected; and these are what we have chiefly to consider as 

 bearing on the questions here discussed. 



The first thing that strikes us on looking at the map, is, the 

 small amount of overlapping of the several areas, and the iso- 

 lation of many of the species; while the next most striking 

 feature is the manner in which the Asiatic species almost sur- 

 round a vast area in which no jays are found. The only species 

 with large areas, are the European G. glandariiis and the Asiatic 

 G. Brandti. The former has three species overlapping it — in 

 Algeria, in South-eastern and in ISTorth-eastern Europe respect- 

 ively. The Syrian jay (No. 4), is not known to occur anywhere 



