upon him in an unguarded moment, and offers him up a sacrifice to his hunger and resentment. In an instant the tune is changed; all their buffoonery vanishes, and loud and incessant screams proclaim their disaster.

Wherever the Jay has had the advantage of education from man, he has not only shown himself an apt scholar, but his suavity of manners seems equalled only by his art and contrivances; though it must be confessed that his itch for thieving keeps pace with all his other acquirements. Dr. Mease, on the authority of Colonel Postell, of South Carolina, informs me, that a Blue Jay, which was brought up in the family of the latter gentleman, had all the tricks and loquacity of a parrot; pilfered every thing he could conveniently carry off, and hid them in holes and crevices; answered to his name with great sociability, when called on; could articulate a number of words pretty distinctly; and when he heard any uncommon noise or loud talking, seemed impatient to contribute his share to the general festivity, (as he probably thought it) by a display of all the oratorial powers he was possessed of.

Mr. Bartram relates an instance of the Jay's sagacity, worthy of remark. "Having caught a Jay in the winter season," says he, "I turned him loose in the green-house, and fed him with "corn, (zea, maize,) the heart of which they are very fond of. "This grain being ripe and hard, the bird at first found a diffi"culty in breaking it, as it would start from his bill when he "struck it. After looking about, and as if considering for a "moment, he picked up his grain, carried and placed it close "up in a corner on the shelf, between the wall and a plant-box, "where being confined on three sides he soon effected his pur"pose, and continued afterwards to make use of this same "practical expedient. The Jay," continues this judicious observer, "is one of the most useful agents in the economy "nature, for disseminating forest trees, and other ruciferous and "hard-seeded vegetables on which they feed. Their chief em"ployment during the autumnal season is foraging to supply "their winter stores. In performing this necessary duty, they

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"drop abundance of seed in their flight over fields, hedges, and "by-fences, where they alight to deposit them in the post holes, ""&c. It is remarkable what numbers of young trees rise up in "fields and pastures after a wet winter and spring. These birds ❝alone are capable, in a few years time, to replant all the cleared "lands."*

The Blue Jays seldom associate in any considerable numbers, except in the months of September and October, when they hover about in scattered parties of from forty to fifty, visiting the oaks, in search of their favourite acorns. At this season they are less shy than usual; and keep chattering to each other in a variety of strange and querulous notes. I have counted fifty-three, but never more, at one time; and these generally following each other in straggling irregularity from one range of woods to another. Yet we are told by the learned Dr. Latham, and his statement has been copied into many respectable European publications, that the Blue Jays of North America "often unite "into flocks of twenty thousand at least! which alighting on a field of ten or twelve acres, soon lay waste the whole." If this were really so, these birds would justly deserve the character he gives them, of being the most destructive species in America. But I will venture the assertion, that the tribe Oriolus phoeniceus, or red-winged Blackbirds, in the environs of the river Delaware alone, devour and destroy more Indian corn than the whole Blue Jays of North America. As to their assembling in such immense multitudes, it may be sufficient to observe, that a flock of Blue Jays of twenty thousand, would be as extraordinary an appearance in America, as the same number of Magpies or Cuckoos would be in Britain.

It has been frequently said, that numbers of birds are common to the United States and Europe; at present, however, I am not certain of many. Comparing the best descriptions and delineations of the European ones with those of our native

Letter of Mr. William Bartram to the Author.

† Synopsis of Birds, vol. i, p. 387. See also Encyclopedia Britannica, art. Corvus.

birds, said to be of the same species, either the former are very erroneous, or the difference of plumage and habits in the latter justify us in considering a great proportion of them to be really distinct species. Be this however as it may, the Blue Jay appears to belong exclusively to North America. I cannot find it mentioned by any writer or traveller among the birds of Guiana, Brazil, or any other part of South America. It is equally unknown in Africa. In Europe, and even in the eastern parts of Asia, it is never seen in its wild state. To ascertain the exact limits of its native regions would be difficult. These, it is highly probable, will be found to be bounded by the extremities of the temperate zone. Dr. Latham has indeed asserted, that the Blue Jay of America is not found farther north than the town of Albany. This, however, is a mistake. They are common in the eastern states, and are mentioned by Dr. Belknap in his enumeration of the birds of New Hampshire.t They are also natives of Newfoundland. I myself have seen them in Upper Canada. Blue Jays and Yellow-birds were found by Mr. M'Kenzie, when on his journey across the continent, at the head waters of the Unjigah, or Peace river, in N. lat. 54o, W. long. 121°, on the west side of the great range of Stony mountains. § Steller, who in 1741 accompanied captain Behring in his expedition for the discovery of the north-west coast of America, and who wrote the journal of the voyage, relates, that he himself went on shore near cape St. Elias, in N. lat. 58° 28'. W. long. 141° 46', according to his estimation, where he observed several species of birds not known in Siberia; and one, in particular, described by Catesby under the name of the Blue Jay. Mr. William Bartram informs me, that they are numerous in the peninsula of Florida, and that he also found them at Natchez, on the Mississippi. Captains Lewis and Clark, and their intrepid companions, in their memorable expedition across the continent of North America to the Pacific ocean,

* Synopsis, vol. i, p. 387.

Hist. N. Hamp. vol. iii, p. 163.

Voyage from Montreal, &c. p. 216, quarto, Lond. 1801.

I See Steller's Journal apud Pallas.

continued to see Blue Jays for six hundred miles up the Missouri.* From these accounts it follows, that this species occupies, generally or partially, an extent of country stretching upwards of seventy degrees from east to west, and more than thirty degrees from north to south; though, from local circumstances, there may be intermediate tracts in this immense range, which they seldom visit.

* This fact I had from Captain Lewis.

SPECIES 7. CORVUS CANADENSIS.

CANADA JAY.

[Plate XXI.-Fig. 1.]

LINN. Syst. 158.-Cinereous Crow, Arct. Zool. p. 248, No. 157. -LATHAM 1, 389.-Le Geay Brun de Canada, BRISSON, II, 54. -Buffon, II, 117.

WERE I to adopt the theoretical reasoning of a celebrated French naturalist, I might pronounce this bird to be a debased descendant from the common Blue Jay of the United States, degenerated by the influence of the bleak and chilling regions of Canada; or perhaps a spurious production, between the Blue Jay and the Cat-bird; or what would be more congenial to the Count's ideas, trace its degradation to the circumstance of migrating, some thousand years ago, from the genial shores of Europe, where nothing like degeneracy or degradation ever takes place among any of God's creatures. I shall, however, on the present occasion, content myself with stating a few particulars better supported by facts, and more consonant to the plain homespun of common sense.

This species inhabits the country extending from Hudson's Bay, and probably farther north, to the river St. Lawrence; also in winter the inland parts of the District of Maine, and northern tracts of the states of Vermont and New York. When the season is very severe, with deep snow, they sometimes advance farther south; but generally return northward as the weather becomes more mild.

The character given of this bird by the people of those parts of the country where it inhabits, is, that it feeds on black moss, worms, and even flesh;-when near habitations or tents, pilfers every thing it can come at-is bold, and comes even into the