;JAXAICTES, now called Sur0N, or SIII-DARIA (i.e., Yellow river), a river of Turkis :Tau, .which rises in the high plateau s. of lake Issikul, in the Thian Shan mountains, flows in a westerly direction through the valley of Khokan, receiving in its course +numerous accessions; after passing Otrar, it divides into two branches; the largest and nuOstmortlierly retaining the name Sir-Daria, flows west-by-north, separating the Russian 1-territory from the steppes of Turkistan, and, after a course of 1150 m., tails into the sett of Aral; the lesser branch, called Kuvan-Daria, flows westward, supplying some *small lakes in the line of its old channal, but for several years back has not reached the sea- of Aral, though sixty years ago it had a greater volume of water than the Sir-Daria.
JAY, Garrulus, a genus of the crow family (cortid(r), differing from magpies chiefly in the yather shorter bill, and in the shorter and rounded, or sometimes almost even tail. • They are inhabitants of forests and wooded districts, chiefly in the temperate parts of Europe, Asia, and North America; and feed more on fruits and seeds than crows and magpies generally do; but they have the omnivorous character of the rest of the family, and often-rob the nests of other birds, whether containing eggs or young.—The Common JAIrt(G.-Oziutarius) is a well-known native of England and of the s. and middle of Scot land, although less common than it once was, in consequence of the incessant war which has been waged against it, both by gamekeepers and by the legislature itself; an Eng lish statute of the 17th year of George II. having empowered grand juries to offer three pence for the head of each jay, on account of alleged injury done to young trees. It is rather smaller than a jackdaw; the plumage is mostly ash-gray, finely tinged with red or purple, the quill-feathers and tail mostly black, a beautiful mottled patch on each wing rayed with bright blue, a broad mustache-like stripe of black extending for an inch from the base of the lower mandible on each side; the head is furnished with a crest of erectile feathers, each of which has a streak of black in the middle. Jays are most frequently seen solitary or in pairs. They build in thick trees or bushes, and their nest is a basket-like structure of small sticks, lined with fine roots and grasses; the eggs, live or six in number, arc yellowish-white, minutely and thickly 'speckled with light brown. When taken young, the jay is very easily tamed, becomes very familiar and amusing, and perhaps excels all other British birds in its power of imitating voices and sonnds.—The BLUE JAY (G. cristatus) of North America, abundant from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada, is smaller than the common jay; it has a similar crest or tuft on the head, and a longer and more rounded tail. The general color of the upper
parts is bright purplish-blue; the wings and tail white, barred with black; the neck surrounded with a curved black collar. It is more gregarious than the common jay, and partially migratory.—The CANADA JAY, or CARRION BIRD (G. Canadensis), is a more northern American species.—Other very beautiful species are found in the n.w, of America, Mexico, and the Himalaya mountains.
JAY, a co. in e. Indiana, watered by the Wabash and Salamonie rivers; 370 sq.m.; pop. '7J, 1500. It is traversed by the Pittsburg, Cincinnati and St. Louis, and the Richmond and Fort Wayne railroads.' Co. seat, Portland.
JAY, JoHN, an American statesman and jurist,and first chief-justice of the supreme court of the United States, was b. in the city of New York, Dec. 12, 1745. He graduated at King's, now Columbia college, New York, in 1764, and was admitted to the bar in 1768. He took a moderate and conciliatory part in the American revolution, was a member of the congress of Philadelpia, was president of congress in 1778, and minister to Spain in 1779. He was very influential in negotiating the treaty of peace, and it was, according to lord St. Helens, " not only chiefly, but wholly by his means that it was brought to a success ful conclusion." He wrote a portion of the Federalist. His services to the federal party were deemed so great- that Washington offered him his choice of the offices in his gift, and he selected that of chief-justice. He resigned, and became governor of New York, and in 1794 minister to England. On the defeat of the federal party he retired. from public life, and lived in great seclusion, only taking part in religious; peace, temperance, and antislavery movements. He died at Bedford, New York, May 17,1829.
JAY, JortN, LL.D. (ante), descended from the Huguenots of La Rochelle, France, who fled their country on the revocation of the edict of Nantes. He gained high repute as a lawyer, and powerful political influence, and was the author of the important Address to the. People of Great Britain, which was one of the early documents issued by the Ameri can patriots. He was a leading and influential member of the convention of the state of New York, 1776, and afforded valuable assistance in framing the constitution. He was chief-justice of New York, and a member of the council of safety. In 1778-79 he pre sided over congress, andWas then sent to Spain on a special mission. From 1795 to 1801 he was governor of the state of New York, and it was under his administration that slavery was abolished iu the state. •