STELLER’S JAY. 
Pari, and the P. caudatus of Europe has also the long, cuneiform 
tail of some, no less than P. bicolor their crest. 
• . . 
The genus Garrulus has an extensive geographical range, being 
found in all latitudes and longitudes. It is composed of about 
thirty species, nearly half of which may more properly be called 
Jays: of the latter there are but two in Europe, and though we 
have doubled the number given by Wilson, we think that others 
will yet be discovered in the wild western tracts of this continent. 
There exist imperfect accounts of two or three species inhabiting 
the countries near the Rocky Mountains, one of which is probably 
that here described, and others may prove to be some of the newly 
discovered Mexican species, one of which, the Garrula gubernatrix 
of Temminck, is so proudly beautiful. 
The Steller’s Jay is more than twelve inches long. The bill 
measures one inch and a half, is entire, and totally black; the 
bristly feathers over the nostrils are also wholly black. The 
feathers of the head are greatly elongated, forming a large crest, 
more than two and a half inches long, and, with the whole head 
and neck, entirely deep brownish black, grayish on the throat; 
the feathers each side of the front are slightly tipped with bright 
and light azure, thus forming a dozen or more of small dots on 
that part; on the neck the brown becomes lighter, and extends 
down on the back, occupying the scapulars as well as the inner 
wing-coverts; on the middle of the back the brown becomes 
somewhat tinged with bluish, and blends gradually into a fine 
bright blue colour, covering the rump and the upper tail-coverts: 
all the inferior parts from the neck, at the lower part of which 
the dusky colour passes into blue, are blue somewhat tinged with 
gray, which is the general colour of the base of the plumage. The 
wings are nearly six inches in length; the fourth, fifth, and sixth 
primaries being subequal and longest. All the outer wing- 
coverts and the secondaries are blue, faintly crossed with obsolete 
—.—~ 
