260 
CORVUS CRISTATUS. 
blue jays of North America “ often unite into flocks of 
twenty thousand at least ! which, alighting 1 on a field of 
ten or twelve acres, soon lay waste the whole.” * If 
this were really so, these birds would justly deserve the 
character he gives them, of being the most destructive 
species in America. But I will venture the assertion, 
that the tribe oriolus phceniceus, or red- winged black- 
birds, in the environs of the river Delaware alone, 
devour and destroy more Indian corn than the whole 
blue jays of North America. As to their assembling 
in such immense multitudes, it may be sufficient to 
observe, that a flock of blue jays of twenty thousand 
would be as extraordinary an appearance in America, as 
the same number of magpies or cuckoos would be in 
Britain. 
It has been frequently said, that numbers of birds are 
common to the United States and Europe ; at present, 
however, I am not certain of many. Comparing the 
best descriptions and delineations 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 justifies us 
in considering a great proportion of them to be really, 
distinct species. Be this, however, as it may, the blue 
jay appears to belong exclusively 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 in- 
deed asserted, that the blue jay of America is not found 
farther north than the town of Albany .j' This, how- 
ever, is a mistake. They are common in the eastern 
* Synopsis of Birds , vol. i. p. 387. See also Encyclopaedia 
Britannica, art. Corvus. 
f Synopsis , vol. i. p. 387. 
