OoRViDJS. BIEDS. CoBVTDa:. cliii 
their sore backs, and snatching all the food they can 
reach. Dr. Cones, in a pleasant description of their 
nesting, says: “Authors say that the American 
Magpie lays only two eggs; but 1 suppose that this 
particular pair lived too far from scientific centres to 
find out what was expected of them, as this nest con- 
tained six young ones, nearly ready to fly.” 
YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE [Pica caudata ; var.nut- 
talli). — Tills is considered a local race of the com- 
mon kind, differing in some unimportant particulars. 
It is found almost exclusively in California. “'J'heir 
food consists of almost everything animal and vege- 
table that they can find, and they come about farms 
and gardens to pick up whatever they can meet with. 
'I'hey have a loud call that sounds like pait — pait, 
with chattering notes, in tone resembling the human 
voice, which, indeed, they can be taught to imitate.” 
BLUE JAY [Gyanura crktata) — Plate VI. fig x. 
— The Blue Jay is found widely distributed over the 
North American continent. “'I'he entire family to 
which this Jay belongs, and of which it is a very 
conspicuous member, is nearly cosmopolitan as to 
distribution, and is distinguished by the remarkable 
intelligence of all its members. Its habits are strik- 
ing, peculiar, and full of interest, often evincing sa- 
gacity, forethought and intelligence strongly akin to 
reason. 'I'hese traits are common to the whole 
family.” — North American Birds. Wary as this 
bird is in the settled parts of the country, in the 
western prairies it is, says Mr. Allen, half do- 
mestic. In one of the principal streets of Eich- 
mond, Indiana, he found a nest, built in a lilac bush, 
under the windows of a dwelling. In Kansas the 
Jay is equally familiar, and is more highly colored 
than at the North. 'I’he voice of the Blue Jay is 
remarkably flexible, being attuned either to soft and 
musical notes, to the harshest screainings of the 
Hawk tribe, or the most ear-rending shrieks, resem- 
bling nothing so much as the piercing creaks of an 
ungreased wheel. Wilson says of him : “ He appears 
to be among his fellow musicians what a trumpeter 
is in a band, some of his notes having no distant re- 
semblance to the tones of that instrument. These 
he has the faculty of changing through a great vari- 
ety of modulations, according to the particular humor 
he happens to be in. When disposed for ridicule, 
there is scarce a bird whose peculiarities of song he 
cannot tune his notes to. When engaged in the 
blandishments of love, they resemble the soft chat- 
terings of a duck ; and, while he nestles among the 
thick branches of the cedar, are scarce heard at a few 
paces distant. But he no sooner discovers your ap- 
proach than he sets up a sudden and vehement out- 
cry, flying off' and screaming with all his might, as if 
he would call the whole feathered tribe to witness 
some outrageous usage he had received. When he 
hope among the high branches of the oak and hick- 
ory, they become soft and musical. All these he 
accompanies with various nods, jerks and other ges- 
ticulations for which the whole tribe of Jays are so re- 
markable. 'I’he power of mimicry possessed by the 
Jay, though different from, is hardly surpassed by 
that of the Mocking-bird. It imitates the cry of a 
Yol. I.— tt. 
Hawk so closely as to drive the small birds to cover, 
and excite immediate consternation in the poultry 
yard. An experienced bird fancier asserts that he 
has invariably found them more ingenious, cunning 
and teachable than any other species of bird he has 
ever attempted to instruct, 'i’he Blue Jay appears 
to belong exclusively to North America.” 
STELLER’S JAY {Gyanura stelleri). — 'I’his species 
is found on the Pacific Coast, from the Columbia 
River to Sitka. Dr. Luckley regarded Steller’s Jay 
as probably the most abundant bird of its size in all 
the wooded country between the Rocky Mountains 
and the Pacific. He describes it as tame, loquacious, 
and possessed of the most impudent curiosity. It is 
remarkable for its varied cries and notes, and seems 
to have one for every emotion or pursuit in which it 
is engaged. It has also a great fondness for imitat- 
ing the notes of other birds. Mr. J. K. Lord states 
that this Jay ever makes its presence known by the 
constant utterance of discordant screams. It is con- 
tinually hopping from bough to bough, darting down 
to catch an insect, performing short, erratic flights, 
and jerking up and down its crest of bright feathers. 
A variety of this Jay is called frontalis ; and an- 
other the maesolopha. 'I’he latter is the Long-crested 
Jay ; it is very similar to C. stelleri, but is readily 
distinguished on comparison. 'The most striking 
peculiarities are the much longer and fuller crest; 
the streaks on the forehead white, not blue ; and the 
patch over the eye, not found at all in stelleri. 'I’he 
head is much blacker, the crest feathers having 
also a gloss of blue instead of opaque dark brown. 
'I’he back is dusky bluish-ash, not opaque brown. 'I’he 
chin is more gray ; the blue of the breast extends 
farther forward, and is much less abruptly defined, 
'i'he black bands on the wing feathers are more dis- 
tinct, especially those on the greater wing coverts, 
which, obsolete in stelleri, are very conspicuous in 
the other. Besides the peculiarities of coloration, 
the bill is more slender, and the tail is less rounded. 
Gyanocitta. — ^'I’liis genus has much the general 
character of Gyanura, or the Blue Jays, but is readily 
distinguished by the absence of a crest, and of black 
bars on the wings and tail. 'I’he wings generally are 
shorter; otherwise, it ajrpears to be much the same. 
FLORIDA JAY [Gyanocitta Jloridiana). — “'This spe- 
cies is similar to G. woodhousei, in color of the under 
parts, including the brown belly, the blue crissum, the 
pectoral band, etc. 'I’he back, however, is much 
lighter and better-defined gray, more so, even, than 
in G. californica. It differs from both species in the 
hoary on the forehead and sides of the crown, and in 
the absence of the superciliary line of white spots, 
as, also, in being considerably smaller.” — Baird. 
CALIFORNIA JAY [G. californica). — 'I’his species 
is found on the Pacific Goast, from the Golumbia 
River, southward, but not in the interior. 
"WOODHOUSE’S JAY [G. woodhousei). — 'I’his is a 
variety of the latter. Baird says it has so close a 
relationship to G. californica that it may not seem 
proper to separate them^ but the differences are very 
perceptible in large series. Habitat, central line of 
Rocky Mountains to 'Table-lands of Mexico. 
