Lewis: December 19, 1805

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