THE COLUMBIA JAY. 
289 
brilliant. All these circumstances I intend to discuss 
in another work, and in the mean time retain the usual 
generic name for the present splendid species, which 
has the bill of nearly the same form as the true crows, 
combined with the elongated tail, and lively colouring 
of the jays. 
“ Were I to relate to you, good reader, the various 
accounts w hich I have heard respecting this splendid 
bird, I should have enough to say; but as I have 
resolved to confine myself entirely to the results of 
my own observation, I must for the present remain 
silent on the subject. 
“ The specimen from which the draw ings were taken 
was presented to me by a friend w ho had received it 
from the Columbia River, and is the only individual 
represented in the volume which I did not myself 
procure on the spot. However, as I expect to ramble 
again through our vast forests and extensive territories, 
I may yet be enabled to give you a full account of this 
beautiful bird, w hich, from the splendour of its plumage, 
deserves all the attention of the naturalist. In the 
mean time, I adjoin a notice respecting it, with which 
I have lately been favoured by my friend, the Prince 
of Musignano : c Le superbe geai, dont vous me parlez, 
est sans doute l’oiseau que Wagler a fait cormaitre le 
premier, sous le nom de Pica Bullockii , et que Te ra- 
mi nek a figure dans ses planches coloriees, sous celui 
de Garrula Gubcrnatrix. Son nom legitime, suivant 
mes principes, sera Garmdus Bullockii , mais vous avez 
raison de dire qu’il ne se trouve pas dans mon Synopsis : 
ce n’est que par votre lettre que j’ai appris qu’il se 
trouvait dans le territoire des Etats-Unis. Jusqu’a 
present, on ne l’avait trouve qu’au Mexique et a la 
Californie. II n’est pas etonnant qu’il se retrouve sur 
la riviere Columbia. Mais comment 1’avez-vous obtena 
et avez-vous pu le dessiner vivant ? Trois autres 
especes de geais, qui ne sont pas dans mon Synopsis, 
liabitent l’extremite nord de FAmerique, et il est 
probable, qu’outre votre superbe geai commandeur , 
VOL. iv. t 10 
