JAY

The native bird so called is a species of the genus Oarrulus, separated by Cuvier from the genus Corvits of Linnaeus on account of the weaker mandibles terminating in a sudden and nearly equal curve. The tail is cuneiform, not long; and the slender feathers of the forehead can be erected like a crest. The common jay (Corvus gland arias, Linn.) nidificates in woods, and builds a simple nest of sticks and slender twigs; the female lays five or six eggs, of a grayish ash colour mixed with green, and faintly spotted with brown. The young a ociate with the parents till the following spring, when they separate to form new pairs. [s. 636]