454 S T E L L E R ' S JAY:
boi-ders d f a 'dark and don«. i fer i » and again some time after a ssaonf
, l c s l w i t h y°™g. 111 ™ elWirtsff branch of the same pine, on the b,order
of a rocky cliff. On approaching the hisMj, which contained four eggs,
of a pale green colour, with small olive-brown specks, varied with
. others of rather a violet hue, both the male and female flew at me with
the utmost a%fe and agitation, deafening me .almost with their cries
a i u l g f i f e f i ^ H u t though«* took only two of their oggs, I found
neM day that thisv had forsaken ihe nest,'being too fearful and jealous.
tf the intrusion to remain ,any longer in the same p'liic» The
«git as usual was bulky, made twigs, and roots with a'
sffiutlByet Of ¿ t i l ; and lmod witl black root-fibres. I- saw the nesl
a b a « « » days previous to the time of taking two of the four eggs.
On thafdi&i^i i ' the female (probably) ohly'tfollowed me in sil'ence." '
(:oavr.,- STKj.i.KRi,(/wi. MmmSpsi: Nat. i. p. ;i;o... Lath. fctd. Ormth. vol. i.
!'• 1.M-- !% Ihmyjrt-:, Hvuopai» of liml* of.Un-tud S!a:,..<, p. 43s.
SxKi.i.KR'a Jay, >»»^GS'»;r.r.Kjii, Ck. Jlovafartt Arcer. Ornith. voi. ii. p. 44.
(¡ARH.i i.trs Stej.i.kbi, Stkileb'b J»*, Fauna Bor.-Amer, « ¡ f l ip. 294.
S t e l l e r ' s .Iav. AVrtaB, Manual, vot.'iu p.* 229.
Adult Male.. 1,'late figfltXJl,. Big, 2.
Bill '¡shorter than the .head; strong, straight, a little compressed ;
upper mandible spfh the. dorsal Hag declinate ajid convex toward the'
end, tint sicl& sloping and becoming fm, r e convex toward the tip, which
is decimate, thin edged ami obtuse, theigps sharp and overlapping,
with a slight notch ; lower mandible straight, the anglcj short and
broad; the dorsal outline sscending;;a»d slightly convex, the sides .< ortv
vex> the edges sharp and directed outwards, the tip narrow. .Nostrils
basal, poundish, covered by reversed bristly feathers.
Head large, ovate, (syes of moderate Ike nock rather short; body
compact. Legs of moderate length, strong; tarsus .much compressfid,
With seven large anterior scutella, and two: Jong plates behind, meeting
so as to form a sharp edge. Toes stout, with largo scutella, the
outer, adherent as far as its second joint to the middle toe; first very
strong ; lateral toes m-arly equal, third much longer. Claws strong,
arched, compressed, sharp.
Plumage full, soft, blended; stiff bristly feathers with disunited
barbs over the nostrils, some of them extending a third of the length
of the bill; at the base of the upper mandible several, longish slender
S T E L L E R ' S JAY. 455
bristles. The feathers on the top of the head and occiput linear-oblong,
slightly recurved, and forming an erectile crest an inch and a
half in length. Wings of moderate length, convex, and much rounded;
the first quill very short, the second an inch and a quarter longer, the
third niqe-twelfths longer than the second, and three-twelfths shorter
than the fourth, which is one-twelfth shorter than the fifth, the latter
being the longest, although scarcely exceeding the sixth. Tail long,
rounded, of twelve rather broad, rounded, and acuminate feathers, of
which the shafts are undulated.
Bill and feet black. Iris hazel. Head and neck, with the fore
part and middle" of «the back brownish-black, of a lighter tint on the;
b^ek, and on the throat} streaked with dull grey ; the feathers on the
forehead tipped with bright blue; theihind part of the back, the rump,
and the upper tail-coverts, light blue ; as are the lower tail-coverts, the
sides iand lower parts of the rump, the sides of the body, and the whole
of the breast; tin' middle of the abdomen paler, the tibial feathers, and
the- lower wing-coverts dusky, tinged with blue. Wings blue, the secondary
coverts and quills rich indigo and ultra-marine, narrowly barred
with black, the oUter!fEi'6verts df the primaries pale; the inner webs of
the primaries and outer secondaries dusky; tail blue with numerous
narrow, inconspicuous dusky bars ; the lower surface of the wings
and "fail dusky.
Length to end of tail 13 inches ; bill along the ridge along the
edge of lower mandible I f i ; wing from flexure | ; tail 6 ; tarsus l x \ ;
hind toe claw ; middle toe H , its claw / j .
The Female is similar to the male, and scarcely inferior in colouring,
but somewhat smaller.
Length to end of tail 12 inches; bill along the ridge 1 ^ ; wing
from flexure ; tail ; tarsus liV; middle toe its claw W
Dr Townsend informs me that it is called A ss-ass by the Chinooks,
who regard it with a superstitious feeling,1 believing that should a person
hear it enunciating certain notes, which resemble the syllables jaajaaa
he will shortly die, whereas its other iSSfes; hie, hu, hue, kuc,
rapidly repeated, portend good. He further states that i t is gregarious,
like the Blue Jay, and corroborates some of the particulars above given.
Two eggs presented to me by Mr Nut tal l measure an inch and an
eighth in length, and seven-eighths in breadth.