324 
CANADA JAY. 
dissection, I found their stomachs occupied by a few spiders, 
and the aurelise of some insects. I could perceive no difference 
between the plumage of the male and female. 
The Canada Jay is eleven inches long, and fifteen in extent ; 
back, wings, and tail, a dull leaden gray, the latter long, 
cuneiform, and tipt with dirty white ; interior vanes of the 
wings, brown, and also partly tipt with white ; plumage of the 
head, loose and prominent ; the forehead, and feathers covering 
the nostril, as well as the whole lower parts, a dirty brownish 
white, which also passes round the bottom of the neck like a 
collar ; part of the crown and hind head, black ; bill and legs, 
also black ; eye, dark hazel. The whole plumage on the back 
is long, loose, unwebbed, and in great abundance, as if to 
protect it from the rigours of the regions it inhabits. 
A gentleman of observation, who resided for many years 
near the North River, not far from Hudson, in the state of 
New York, informs me, that he has particularly observed this 
bird to arrive there at the commencement of cold weather ; 
he has often remarked its solitary habits ; it seemed to seek 
the most unfrequented, shaded retreats, keeping almost con- 
stantly on the ground, yet would sometimes, towards evening, 
mount to the top of a small tree, and repeat its notes, (which 
a little resemble those of the Baltimore,) for a quarter of an 
hour together ; and this it generally did immediately before 
snow, or falling weather. 
