In Scotland, according to Sir William Jardiffe, and other
authorities, the Jay frequents extensive old woods in the
cultivated districts of the southem_and middle divisions.'. It
is also found in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, I t is
distributed over the temperate "portions of Europej and is
foiind in Spain, Provenee; Italy, Malta, Barbary, and
Egypt is common in »?fke Mdrea, and-in sqm^;paa?ts of
Greece, according to M. Temminck, t |e flesh of the Jay is
constantly eaten.
The-bealr|&\black ; the irides pale bine; from thh base
of the lower mandible bn eadn side thèrei'is,a,:mustache-l&ê
spot of velvetcblack an inch long; .forehead and crown greyish
white, the feathers1 elongated, forming a .crest, wlpchs’thé
bird elevates at pleasured ^these long feathers have^acii-a
streak of black in the centre, in the line of the. shaft, the
éndiJqf the. lon^j feathers bn the b^i-put -tinged with pm>
plish re d ; the nape, scapulars, and colour-;
wing-coverts barred with black, w h ^ and pale Mue^alter-.
nately, across the outer web; the inner web nearly, uniform
black; thé primaries dusky black, with dull w'hite^exte'mal
edges; the secondaries velvet black,. _e$ch with a well-defined
elongated patch Of ^purl white on the basal half of. the outer
web ; some óf. jh ê ter-tials velvet black, «jgdistinctly barred
transversely with blue and black a t the base-Of: theouter,
web; the last tertials of a rich ^hestnut .colour, particularly
on the inner w e b ; rump and upper tail-coverts ‘ pure whitei.;«
tail-feathers' dull black, indistinctly b&rred at the base; the
outer tail-feather on each side the lightest in colour, approach*
ing to brown ; chin greyish white.; breast and belly.reddish
buff colour ;; vent and under T -taib-covérts dull-whitê ^ the
under surface of wings and tail-feathers smoke grey;, legs;,
toes, and claws, pale brown.
The whole’ length of the .specimen , described’ thirteen
inches and three quarters. From the carpal,ijoint to the
end of the wing seven- -inches and one-eighth ; the first feather
a$>oW two inches andy-a half long; the second feather
about four inches 'and a half, and one inch shorter than the
third ;-r'the fourth,-fifth, and sixth feathers nearly equal, and
the^longest.i® the wing.
Ther^pf scarcely any deseribable difference in the plumage
of ;the two sexes.
Before quitSêg* the account of the family of the Crows, I
am desfrdui>oJf making a’ slight addition to the history of the
lli.ougb, and' of the Hoöde$-;Crbw* My friend, Mr. Henry
Doubledayy who has just- Returned from visiting the Channel
-islands'!, has very kindly sent mé ai list of thfe'birds seen there,
with the following remark in- reference - to the Chough :— “ I
went, I |i>ëliev.é, - ent^fely.round?/Jersey^ and spent much time
on the diffs^fbiaf saw no .Choughs^' In the 'South-western
part however, I saw a considerable number "ét
them, and observed that they rarelyiif'fever did alight on the
grass, but always-flew to a stone or a1 piece of rock:”
I un^C'ountabl'yfemiftedlltlt^ädd the name of Royston Crow
to that of the Hooded Crow, at page ^gw h ich I the more
regret, as Royston Crow is, I belifeVe, the older name of the
-two. Merrett,. Willughby, and Ray, .use the name Royston
Crowonly ; the two latter'authors quoting Royston and Newmarket
Heath as the localities ‘for this, bird in winter. That
it is’■ abundant about Royston 'from‘October to March I can
testify on my own knowledge; its boldnes^, the contrast in
the colours of its plumage, and the open character of that
country, assist in rendering this-bird very conspicuous, and
we shall be as correct in referring to it by the name of Royston
Crow as we are in speaking of the Iceland Falcon, the Dart-
ford Warbler, and many other birds named in reference to
certain localities in which they are most frequently found.