19.
V a r . A. 4- WHITE JAY.
D e s c r i p t io n .
20* 4-BLUE JAY.
D e scr ip t ion .
is alio found in Denmark, and mentioned likewife as a Ruffian
fpecies. It is found in Scotland, as well as in England, but not in-
the iflands adjacent.
Le Geay blanc, Br if. cm. ii..p, gi. A.
'J 'H IS is wholly white, the bill and legs not excepted,, and. the
irides red. I have fuch an one in my collection, which was
found in the neft, with four others of the common colour.
Corvus criftatus,- Lin. S\ß. i. p. 157. N° 8.
Le Geay bleu de Canada, Br if. orn. ii. p. 55.. N° ^.— Buf. o if.iü . p. 120.
P L enl. 529.
Blue Jay, Cateß. Car. i. pi. 15.—Ednjj. pi. 239,—-Amer. Zool. N°.
Br . Muf. Le v. Muf.
M U C H fmaller than our Jay : length eleven inches. Bill
black, above an inch long: the head is crefted and blue:
round the bafe of the bill black : a ftreak of the fame paffes on
each fide through the eyes, below the creft, and behind it j and
then tending forwards unite to form a crefcent on the breaft : the
iides of the head and throat are of a blueiih white, and there is a
fpot of the fame over the eye : hind part of the neck and back
blue: wings and tail the fame; all the feathers of the laft,
except the two middle ones, tipped with white, and the feathers
of both it and the wings elegantly barred with black: the greater
coverts and fecond quills tipped with white: the breaft is o f a
bloffom-colour: the belly and under tail coverts white: legs
£ dulky
:*«81855*
W - 'i
C R O W,
duiky- brown : the-tail: nearly as' long: as i the reft of the bird.
The colours o f the female are lei's .bright than thofe of the
male.; .
This inhabits North America, to which I believe it is peculiar,
but not feen farther, north than thé town of Albany : very common
at New Tork," and in New England throughout, in April or
JNay.: .It- builds, in .Iwamps, along with the red-winged Oriole and
others, and has a.foft delicate.note. Its food .is hazel-nuts, cheft-
nuts, and fuch like, which, like the Nutcracker, it breaks by
placing between the feet, and pecking with the bill till the ftiell
gives way. It is alfo very fond of maize, and being a gregarious
bird, often unites- into flocks of twenty thoufand at leaft, which
alighting on a field of ten or twelve acres, foon lays wafte the
whole ; hence reckoned the moft deftruélive bird in that country.
Will often take up with fnails and vermin through neceffity,
but not while any thing, they like better is to be got at. It
is not accounted good to eat.
T ENGTII fifteen inches, Bill an inch and a half; colour
black ; juft at the gape are five or fix .black briftles : the
head is crefted ; the creft is above two inches in length, compofed
of narrow brown feathers ; thé-general colour of the reft of the
plumage is purplifh black, inclining to green on the rump : half
of the wing coverts are of a brownilh black, the others of a deep
blue ; the fecond quills are alfo of this laft colour, crofted with
eight or nine bars of black, in the manner of the blue Jay; the
greater quills are black, with the outer edges blue green : the
fore part of the neck and breaft dulky : belly and vent pale blue :
3 D 2 the
3*7
Place
M ann
AND
ERS.
STCERLOLWER.S
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