262 
CORVUS CANADENSIS. 
64 . CORVUS CANADENSIS , LINNJEUS. — CANADA JAY. 
WILSON, PL. XXI. FIG. I. EDINBURGH COLLEGE MUSEUM. 
Were I to adopt the theoretical reasoning’ of a cele- 
brated French naturalist, I might pronounce this bird 
to be a debased descendant from the common blue jay 
of the United States, degenerated by the influence of 
the bleak and chilling regions of Canada ; or perhaps 
a spurious production between the blue jay and the 
cat-bird : or, what would be more congenial to the 
Count’s ideas, trace its degradation to the circumstance 
of migrating, some thousand years ago, from the genial 
shores of Europe, — where nothing like degeneracy or 
degradation ever takes place among any of God’s 
creatures. I shall, however, on the present occasion, 
content myself with stating a few particulars better 
supported by facts, and more consonant to the plain 
homespun of common sense. 
This species inhabits the country extending from 
Hudson’s Bay, and probabfy farther north to the river 
St Lawrence ; also, in winter, the inland parts of the 
district of Maine, and northern tracts of the States of 
Vermont and New York. When the season is very 
severe, with deep snow, they sometimes advance farther 
south ; but generally return northward as the weather 
becomes more mild. 
The character given of this bird by the people of 
those parts of the country where it inhabits, is, that it 
feeds on black moss, worms, and even flesh ,* when 
near habitations or tents, pilfers every thing it can come 
at ; is bold, and comes even into the tent, to eat meat 
out of the dishes ; watches the hunters while baiting 
their traps for martens, and devours the bait as soon as 
their backs are turned ; that they breed early in spring, 
building their nests on pine trees, forming them of 
sticks and grass, and lay blue eggs ; that they have two, 
