BLUE JAY. 
253 
them, and, in defiance of their wincing’ and kicking*, 
picked many places quite raw. The difficulty of pro- 
curing* food rendered those birds so bold, as to alight on 
our men’s arms, and eat meat out of their hands.” * 
The magpie is eighteen inches in length ; the head, 
neck, upper part of the breast and back, are a deep 
velvety black ; primaries, brownish black, streaked 
along their inner vanes with white ; secondaries, rich 
purplish blue ; greater coverts, green blue ; scapulars, 
lower part of the breast and belly, white ; thighs and 
vent, black; tail, long; the two exterior feathers scarcely 
half the length of the longest, the others increasing 
to the two middle ones, which taper towards their 
extremities. The colour of this part of the plumage is 
very splendid, being glossy green, dashed with blue and 
bright purple ; this last colour bounds the green ; nostrils, 
covered with a thick tuft of recumbent hairs, as are 
also the sides of the mouth ; bill, legs, and feet, glossy 
black. The female differs only in the less brilliancy 
of her plumage. 
SUBGENUS II. — GAEEULUS , BRISSON. 
68. COEPUS CEISTATUS, LINN. — BLUE JAY. 
WILSON, PLATE I. FIG. I. 
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 cox- 
combs, 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 depress 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 
* Pike’s Journal , p. 170 . 
