Lewis: December 19, 1805
Lewis devotes the day's entry to a detailed description of the blue crested corvus, a bird common in the wooded country west of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific. He records precise measurements of its beak, legs, tail, and wingspan, and notes its glossy indigo-blue plumage, full crest, black talons, and dark eyes. He compares it to the blue jay of the eastern United States, observing similar restless hopping behavior. He describes the duller brown coloring of the female, the bird's diet of flesh, insects, and berries, and its loud calls.
Discription of the blue Crested corvus bird common to the woody and
western side of the Rockey mountains, and all the woody country from
thence to the Pacific Ocean It’s beak is black convex, cultrated, wide at
its base where it is beset with hairs, and is 11 inches from the opening
of the chaps to their extremity, and from the joining of the head to the
extremity of the upper chap 1 1/8 Inches, the upper exceeds the under chap
a little; the nostrils are small round unconnected and placed near the
base of the beak where they lye concealed by the hairs or hairy feathers
which cover the base of the upper chap. the eye reather large and full but
not prominent and of a deep bluefish black, there being no difference in
the colour of the puple and the iris. the crest is very full the feathers
from 1 to 11/2 Inches long and occupye the whole crown of the head. the
head neck, the whole of the body including the coverts of the wings, the
upper disk of the tail and wings are of a fine gossey bright indigo blue
Colour the under disk of the tail and wings are of a dark brown nearly
black. the leg and first joint of the tye are 41/4 In. long, the legs and
feet are black and the front covered with 6 scales the hinder part smothe,
the toes are also imbrecated, four in number long and armed with long
sharp black tallons. the upper disk of the first four or five feathers of
the wing next to the boddy, are marked with small transverse stripes of
black as are also the upper side of the two center feathers of the tail;
the tail is five inches long & is composed of twelve feathers of equal
length. the tail 1 & 1/2 as long as the boddy. the whole length from
the point of the beak to extremity of the tail 1 Foot 1 Inch; from the tip
of one to the tip of the other wing 1 Foot 51/2 Inches. the Conta. the
size & the whole Contour of this bird resembles very much the blue jay
or jaybird as they are called in the U States. like them also they seldom
rest in one place long but are in constant motion hoping from spra to
spray. what has been said is more immediately applicable to the male, the
colours of the female are somewhat different in her the head crest neck
half the back downwards and the converts of the wings are of a dark brown,
but sometimes there is a little touch of the Indigo on the short feathers
on the head at the base of the upper chap. this bird feeds on flesh when
they can procure it, also on bugs flies and buries. I do not know whether
they distroy little birds but their tallons indicate their capacity to do
so if nature, has directed it. their note is loud and frequently repeated
cha’a cha’a’ &c.also twat twat twat, very quick
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
Description of the blue crested corvus bird common to the woody and western side of the Rocky Mountains, and all the woody country from there to the Pacific Ocean. Its beak is black, convex, knife-shaped, wide at its base where it is set with hairs, and is 1 1/4 inches from the opening of the jaws to their extremity, and from the joining of the head to the extremity of the upper jaw 1 1/8 inches; the upper exceeds the lower jaw a little. The nostrils are small, round, unconnected, and placed near the base of the beak where they lie concealed by the hairs or hairy feathers which cover the base of the upper jaw. The eye is rather large and full but not prominent, and of a deep bluish black, there being no difference in the color of the pupil and the iris. The crest is very full, the feathers from 1 to 1 1/2 inches long and occupying the whole crown of the head.
The head, neck, the whole of the body including the coverts of the wings, the upper side of the tail and wings are of a fine glossy bright indigo blue color. The under side of the tail and wings are of a dark brown, nearly black. The leg and first joint of the thigh are 4 1/4 inches long; the legs and feet are black, and the front covered with 6 scales, the hinder part smooth. The toes are also overlapping, four in number, long, and armed with long, sharp black talons. The upper side of the first four or five feathers of the wing next to the body are marked with small transverse stripes of black, as are also the upper side of the two center feathers of the tail. The tail is five inches long and is composed of twelve feathers of equal length. The tail is 1 1/2 times as long as the body. The whole length from the point of the beak to the extremity of the tail is 1 foot 1 inch; from the tip of one to the tip of the other wing 1 foot 5 1/2 inches.
The contour, the size, and the whole shape of this bird resembles very much the blue jay or jaybird, as they are called in the United States. Like them also, they seldom rest in one place long but are in constant motion, hopping from spray to spray. What has been said is more immediately applicable to the male; the colors of the female are somewhat different. In her, the head, crest, neck, half the back downwards, and the coverts of the wings are of a dark brown, but sometimes there is a little touch of the indigo on the short feathers on the head at the base of the upper jaw.
This bird feeds on flesh when it can procure it, also on bugs, flies, and berries. I do not know whether they destroy little birds, but their talons indicate their capacity to do so if nature has directed it. Their note is loud and frequently repeated, cha'a cha'a, etc., also twat twat twat, very quick.
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