hazel. Feet black. The plumage of the head, neck, fore part of the
breast and back, brownish-black, the feathers on the latter part being
very long, those on the upper part of the head strongly glossed with
green; the shafts of the throat-feathers greyish, and those of the
feathers on the middle of the neck white. The feathers on the middle of
the back are light grey, some of them whitish, and those behind tipped
with black; rump and tail-coverts brownish-black. The scapulars are
white; the smaller wing-coverts splendent with bronzed green; primaries
black, glossed with shining green, their inner webs white, excepting
at the end, and for some way along the margin; secondaries bright blue,
changing to green, their inner webs greenish-black. Tail splendent with
bright green, changing to greenish-yellow, purplish-red, bluish-purple,
and dark green at the end; the inner webs chiefly greenish-black, but
with various tints. The breast and sides are pure white; the legs,
abdominal region, lower tail coverts, and lower wing-coverts, black.
Length to end of tail 18 inches, to end of wings 11-1/2; wing from
flexure 7-3/4; tail 9-10/12; bill along the ridge 1-4/12; tarsus
1-11/12; first toe 7/12, its claw 7/12; middle toe 1-2/12, its claw
6/12.
In form, proportion, and size, this Magpie is precisely similar to
the common species. Its bill has the sides less convex; the bare space
under the eye is of much greater extent, and the feathers of the tail
are much narrower. The colours are similar, and distributed in the
same manner; but the bill of the present species is yellow, instead of
black, and the black of the back and fore neck is tinged with brown.
The two species are wonderfully closely allied; but on comparing my
specimen with several others in the Museum of the Zoological Society of
London, I found that they all precisely agreed with it.
I have represented in the plate a twig of a species of _Platanus_
discovered by the excellent naturalist after whom I have named the bird
perched upon it.
STELLER’S JAY.
_CORVUS STELLERI_, GMEL.
PLATE CCCLXII. ADULT.
Of this Jay, discovered by STELLER, whose name it bears, Dr RICHARDSON
states that it “is not uncommon in the summer time on the Pacific
coast of America, from the mouth of the Columbia to the 56th parallel.
It also frequents the Rocky Mountains, where Mr DRUMMOND procured a
specimen. In its manner it greatly resembles the _Garrulus cristatus_.”
Mr NUTTALL’s account of it is as follows:—
“We first observed this bird in our Western route in the Blue Mountains
of the Columbia, east of Wallah Wallah. Here they were scarce and shy,
but we met them in sufficient abundance in the majestic pine forests
of the Columbia, where, in autumn, their loud and trumpeting clangour
was heard at all hours of the day, calling out _djay_, _djay_, and
sometimes chattering and uttering a variety of other notes scarcely
recognisable as distinct from the calls of our common Blue Jay. They
are, however, far more bold, irritable, and familiar. Watchful as
dogs, a stranger no sooner shews himself in their vicinity then they
neglect all other employment to come round, follow, peep at and scold
him, sometimes with such pertinacity and irritability as to provoke the
sportsman intent on other game to level his gun against them in mere
retaliation. At other times, stimulated by mere curiosity, they will
be observed to follow you in perfect silence, until something arouses
their ready ire, when the _djay_, _djay_, _pay_, _pay_, is poured upon
you without intermission, till you are beyond their view. So intent
are they on vociferating, that it is not uncommon to hear them busily
scolding even while engaged with a large acorn in the mouth. Of their
geographical limits we are as yet uncertain. They were first found
by STELLER at Nootka; but they do not extend into upper California,
and scarcely to the west as far as the most western of the true Rocky
Mountain Chains. They feed on insects, acorns, and the seeds of the
gigantic pines which form a belt along the Pacific and the rivers
of the Oregon Territory. In the month of May, I found a nest of this
species in a small sapling of Douglas’s Fir, on the borders of a dark
and dense forest, and again some time after a second nest with young,
in an elevated branch of the same pine, on the border of a rocky cliff.
On approaching the nest, 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 anger
and agitation, deafening me almost with their cries and entreaties.
But though I took only two of their eggs, I found next day that they
had forsaken the nest, being too fearful and jealous of the intrusion
to remain any longer in the same place. The nest as usual was bulky,
made of interlaced twigs, and roots, with a stout layer of mud, and
lined with black root-fibres. I saw the nest about ten days previous
to the time of taking two of the four eggs. On that occasion the female
(probably) only followed me in silence.”
CORVUS STELLERI, _Gmel._ _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p.
370.—_Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 158.—_Ch. Bonaparte_,
Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 438.
STELLER’S JAY, GARRULUS STELLERI, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Amer.
Ornith. vol. ii. p. 44.
GARRULUS STELLERI, STELLER’S JAY, Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii.
p. 294.
STELLER’S JAY, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 229.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXII. Fig. 2.
Bill shorter than the head, strong, straight, a little compressed;
upper mandible with the dorsal line declinate and convex toward the
end, the sides sloping and becoming more convex toward the tip, which
is declinate, thin edged and obtuse, the edges sharp and overlapping,
with a slight notch; lower mandible straight, the angle short and
broad, the dorsal outline ascending and slightly convex, the sides
convex, the edges sharp and directed outwards, the tip narrow. Nostrils
basal, roundish, covered by reversed bristly feathers.
Head large, ovate, eyes of moderate size; neck rather short; body
compact. Legs of moderate length, strong; tarsus much compressed, with
seven large anterior scutella, and two long plates behind, meeting so
as to form a sharp edge. Toes stout, with large scutella, the outer
adherent as far as its second joint to the middle toe; first very
strong; lateral toes nearly 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 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 nine-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 back, and
on the throat streaked with dull grey; the feathers on the forehead
tipped with bright blue; the hind part of the back, the rump, and the
upper tail-coverts, light blue; as are the lower tail-coverts, the
sides and lower parts of the rump, the sides of the body, and the whole
of the breast; the 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 coverts of 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 tail dusky.
Length to end of tail 13 inches; bill along the ridge 1-(1-1/2)/12,
along the edge of lower mandible 1-(4-1/2)/12; wing from flexure
5-11/12; tail 6; tarsus 1-8/12; hind toe (7-1/2)/12, its claw 7/12;
middle toe 11/12, its claw 5/12.
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 1-1/2; wing from
flexure 5-1/2; tail 5-1/2; tarsus 1-8/12; middle toe 11/12 its claw
5/12.
Dr TOWNSEND informs me that it is called _Ass-ass_ by the Chinooks,
who regard it with a superstitious feeling, believing that should a
person hear it enunciating certain notes, which resemble the syllables
_jaa-jaa_, he will shortly die, whereas its other notes, _kuc_, _kuc_,
_kuc_, _kuc_, rapidly repeated, portend good. He further states that
it is gregarious, like the Blue Jay, and corroborates some of the
particulars above given.
Two eggs presented to me by Mr NUTTALL measure an inch and an eighth in
length, and seven-eighths in breadth.
ULTRAMARINE JAY.
_CORVUS ULTRAMARINUS._
PLATE CCCLXII. ADULT.
Although the Ultramarine Jay has been described by Mr SWAINSON, in his
Synopsis of the Birds of Mexico, under the name of _Garrulus sordidus_,
I retain the specific name “_ultramarinus_,” previously given by the
Prince of MUSIGNANO. The only observations respecting its habits that
I am aware of having been made, are the following, for which I am
indebted to my friend THOMAS NUTTALL.
“Early in October, on arriving in the forests of the Columbia, near
Fort Vancouver, an establishment of the Hudson’s Bay Company, we saw
in the same situations with the Steller’s Jay, the present species.
Its habits are much like those of the Common Jay. It usually flies out
to the tops of the lofty pines, jerks its tail, and perches playfully
on some extreme branch, where it utters at times, as if excited by
petulant anger, a strong _whoit_, _woit_, _woit_, _woit_, after which
expression it emits a sort of recognition-call at short intervals,
_twee_, and sometimes a shorter _’twee ’twee_. When much pursued, it
sits still in the concealing shade of the lofty branches on which it
seeks refuge. It feeds on insects, acorns broken up, and probably pine
seeds. They appear to associate in roving families throughout the fall
and winter, like the other species, seldom if ever associating with
the more Common Steller’s Jay, though now and then perhaps in the same
tree. It is a graceful, active, and rather shy species, flying out
straight from tree to tree, remarkable by its long tail and rather
short wings; and its note is much less harsh and loud than that of
Steller’s Jay. They breed in the dark pine woods probably where we so
frequently saw them alight, and on the 15th of June they were feeding
their fully fledged young, two of which I pursued for some time, but
they skulked so effectually as to escape me after a long and doubtful
chase. The young had a great predominance of grey on the back. The same
species also extends into Upper California.”
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXII. Fig. 3.
Bill shorter than the head, strong, straight, compressed toward the
end; upper mandible with the dorsal line declinate and convex toward
the end, the sides sloping and becoming convex toward the tip, which
is declinate, thin-edged and obtuse, the edges sharp and overlapping,
with a slight notch; lower mandible straight, the angle rather short
and broad, the dorsal outline ascending and slightly convex, the sides
convex, the edges sharp and directed outwards, the tip narrow. Nostrils
basal, roundish covered by the reversed bristly feathers.
Head large, ovate; eyes of moderate size; neck rather short; body
compact. Legs of moderate length, strong; tarsus much compressed, with
seven large anterior scutella, and two long plates behind, meeting so
as to form a sharp edge. Toes stout, with large scutella, the outer
adherent as far as its second joint to the middle toe; first very
strong; inner toe shorter than outer, third much longer. Claws strong,
arched, compressed, acute.
Plumage full, soft, blended. Stiff feathers with disunited barbs
over the nostrils, the longest scarcely extending to a third of the
length of the bill; at the base of the upper mandible several longish
slender bristles. Wings of moderate length, convex, and much rounded;
the first quill very short, an inch and two-twelfths shorter than the
second, which is eight-twelfths shorter than the third, the fourth
three-twelfths longer than the third, and a twelfth and a half shorter
than the fifth, which is the longest, but scarcely exceeds the sixth.
Tail long, much rounded, of twelve rather narrow, rounded and acuminate
feathers, of which the lateral is an inch and a quarter shorter than
the longest.
Bill and feet brownish-black. Iris hazel. Upper part of the head, sides
and hind part of the neck, wings, upper tail-coverts, and tail, light
blue; back light greyish-brown, the feathers of the rump whitish and
tinged with blue at the end; the inner webs of the quills dusky; the
tail transversely undulated, and having the appearance of being faintly
barred with a darker tint. A white band over the eye formed by the tips
of the feathers there; the cheeks dusky; the fore neck greyish-white
faintly streaked with dusky; and bounded below by a narrow semilunar
band of light blue continuous with that of the neck. The lower parts
are pale purplish-grey, passing into white on the abdomen; lower
tail-coverts tinged with blue.
Length to end of tail 12 inches; bill along the ridge 1-(1-1/2)/12,
along the edge of lower mandible 1-4/12; wing from flexure 5-8/12; tail
6-2/12; tarsus 1-8/12; hind toe (7-1/2)/12, its claw 7/12; middle toe
1-1/12, its claw (6-1/2)/12.
The Female is considerably smaller, but resembles the male in colour.
Length to end of tail 11-1/2 inches; wing from flexure 5-3/12; tail
6-2/12; tarsus 1-7/12; middle toe 1, its claw (6-1/2)/12.
The resemblance which this species bears to the Florida Jay is so close
that one might readily confound the two. That species, however, is
distinguishable by its smaller size and its more rounded tail; by its
having a band of whitish across the forehead and extended over the eye,
where it is not in dots as in the Ultramarine Jay.
CLARKE’S NUTCRACKER.
_NUCIFRAGA COLUMBIANA._
PLATE CCCLXII. ADULT.
No sooner had I examined perfect specimens of this somewhat singularly
coloured bird, than I felt assured, more especially from the form
of its bill, that it is with us a representative of the Nutcracker
of Europe; and I was much surprised, on comparing it with the figure
given of it by ALEXANDER WILSON, to find the latter very defective,
the bill being nearly half an inch shorter than in four specimens which
I have inspected. All that is known of its habits is contained in the
following notes from Mr NUTTALL and Dr TOWNSEND.
“We first observed this species in a small pine grove, on the borders
of Bear River, in the table-land of the Rocky Mountains, where
they were probably breeding, in the month of July. We again saw a
considerable flock of the young birds early in August, in a lofty
ravine near the summit of one of the three belts or isolated mountains,
about thirty or forty miles west of the Shoshonee River. They appeared
somewhat shy, and scattered through a grove of aspens, flying with a
slight chatter, scarcely a caw, from the tops of the bushes or trees,
on to the ground, probably in quest of insect food. We never saw this
species either on the lower plains or forests of the Columbia, or in
any part of Upper California. It appears never to descend below the
mountain plains.” T. N.
“CLARKE’s Crow, _Corvus columbianus_. First found on Bear River,
and afterwards on the Blue Mountains, plentiful. Its flight is very
unlike that of the Common Crow, being performed by jerks, like that of
the Woodpecker. When sitting, it is almost constantly screaming; its
voice is very harsh and grating, and consists of one rather prolonged
note. It breeds here in very high pine trees. The White Pelican also
seen here in July, no doubt breeds; also the Canvass-backed Duck, the
Shoveller, and Dusky Duck; found young of all of them. The _Corvus
columbianus_ is never seen within five hundred miles of the mouth of
the Columbia. It appears generally to prefer a mountainous country and
pine trees; and feeds chiefly on insects and their larvæ.” J. K. T.
CLARKE’S CROW, CORVUS COLUMBIANUS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol.
iii. p. 29. pl. 20, fig. 2.
CORVUS COLUMBIANUS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of
United States, p. 57.
COLUMBIAN CROW, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 218.
Adult Male. Plate CCCLXII. Fig. 4.
Bill as long as the head, stout, somewhat conical, compressed, at the
tip rather depressed. Upper mandible with its dorsal line slightly
arcuato-declinate, the ridge convex, the sides rounded, the edges
sharp and overlapping, without notæ, the tip flattened and obtuse;
lower mandible with the angle short and rounded, the dorsal line
straight, the sides convex, the edges sharp and a little inflexed, the
tip flattened, and rather obtuse. Nostrils basal, lateral, roundish,
covered by bristly feathers, which are directed forwards.
Head large, broadly ovate; eyes of moderate size; neck rather short;
body compact. Legs of moderate length, stout; tarsus compressed, with
seven large anterior scutella and two plates behind, meeting so as to
form a sharp edge. Toes stout, with large scutella; the first toe very
large, the inner a little shorter than the outer, the hind much longer;
the third and fourth united as far as the second joint of the latter.
Claws large, arched, much compressed, acute.
Plumage full, very soft and blended; the stiff bristly feathers over
the nostrils extend about one-fifth of the length of the bill; and
there are no distinct bristles at the base of the upper mandible;
the feathers on the head are very short. The wings are long, and much
rounded; the first quill two inches shorter than the second, which is
ten-twelfths shorter than the third, the latter exceeded two-twelfths
by the fourth, which is the longest; the outer primaries being narrow,
give the wing, when closed, the appearance of being pointed. Tail of
moderate length, rounded, of twelve rather broad feathers, of which the
lateral is half an inch shorter than the middle.
Bill and feet brownish-black. Iris hazel. The general colour above
and below is light brownish-grey, the forehead, throat, fore part of
cheeks, and a space around the eye white, tinged with yellow. Wings
black, glossed with blue; seven of the secondaries largely tipped with
white, upper tail-coverts greyish-black; tail pure white, excepting the
two middle feathers and the greater part of the inner webs of the next
pair, which are black glossed with blue; lower wing-coverts dusky, some
tipped with white; lower tail-coverts pure white.
Length to end of tail 12 inches; bill along the ridge 1-8/12, along the
edge of lower mandible 1-10/12; wing from flexure 7-11/12; tail 5-1/4;
tarsus 1-4/12; hind toe (7-1/2)/12; its claw 8/12; middle toe 11/12,
its claw 6/12.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLXII. Fig. 5.
The Female is similar to the male.
BOHEMIAN CHATTERER.
_BOMBYCILLA GARRULA_, VIEILL.
PLATE CCCLXIII. MALE AND FEMALE.
The first intimations of the occurrence of this beautiful bird in North
America, were made by Mr DRUMMOND and Dr RICHARDSON, by the former
of whom it was found in 1826, near the sources of the Athabasca, or
Elk River, in the spring, and by the latter, in the same season, at
Great Bear Lake, in latitude 50°. Dr RICHARDSON states, in the Fauna
Boreali-Americana, that “specimens procured at the former place, and
transmitted to England, by the servants of the Hudson’s Bay Company,
were communicated, by Mr LEADBEATER to the Prince of MUSIGNANO, who
had introduced the species into his great work on the Birds of the
United States.” “In its autumn migration southwards,” he continues,
“this bird must cross the territory of the United States, if it does
not actually winter within it; but I have not heard of its having been
hitherto seen in America to the southward of the fifty-fifth parallel
of latitude. The mountainous nature of the country skirting the
Northern Pacific Ocean being congenial to the habits of this species,
it is probably more generally diffused in New Caledonia and the Russian
American Territories, than to the eastward of the Rocky Mountain chain.
It appears in flocks at Great Bear Lake about the 24th of May, when
the spring thaw has exposed the berries of the alpine arbutus, marsh
vaccinium, &c., that have been frozen and covered during winter. It
stays only for a few days, and none of the Indians of that quarter with
whom I conversed had seen its nests; but I have reason to believe,
that it retires in the breeding season to the rugged and secluded
mountain-limestone districts, in the sixty-seventh and sixty-eighth
parallels, where it feeds on the fruit of the common juniper, which
abounds in those places.” In a note, he further states:—“I observed a
large flock, consisting of at least three or four hundred individuals,
on the banks of the Saskatchewan at Carlton House, early in May 1827.
They alighted in a grove of poplars, settling all on one or two trees,
and making a loud twittering noise. They stayed only about one hour in
the morning, and were too shy to allow me to approach within gunshot.”
I am informed by Dr TOWNSEND, who has spent about four years in the
Columbia River district and on the Rocky Mountains, that he did not
observe there a single bird of this species. In the autumn of 1832,
whilst rambling near Boston, my sons saw a pair, which they pursued
more than an hour, but without success. The most southern locality
in which I have known it to be procured, is the neighbourhood of
Philadelphia, where, as well as on Long Island, several were shot in
1830 and 1832. The specimens from which I made the figures of the male
and female represented in the plate, were given to me by my friend
THOMAS M’CULLOCH of Pictou, in Nova Scotia, who procured several others
in the winter of 1834. The following account of the affection displayed
by one towards its companion, with which he has also favoured me, will
be found highly interesting.