OTIIER AMERICAN JAYS. Several other species of jay occur in North America. variously sub divided by ornithologists into n dozen or more subspecies. One of the most distinct and easily recognized species is the Canada jay, 'whisky jack,' or `moose-bird' (Prrisorcus ('anadensis), one of the best-known birth of Canada and the North. Utterly unlike the blue jay in appear ance (it lacks a crest), its manners and habits are very similar. The plumage is ashy-gray, and only the forehead and throat are white. It becomes very tame about the camps of loggers and trappers in the northern woods, and is fa mous for the great variety of its notes. It breeds very early in the spring, while there is still much snow on the ground and the weather is very cold. The nest is not unlike that of the blue jay. but the eggs are white, spotted with olive-hrown. This species, in one form or another, ranges throughout North Ame•iea from Labrador to Alaska, south to the northern tier of States, in the Rocky Mountains to New and Ari zona. and on the Pacific Coast to Oregon. The Florida jay (.1 phe-locoma Floridan a) is another crestless jay, but the general color is blue, with more or less white and ashy. It is abundant in Florida, hut ins wholly confined to that State, although closely allied species occur in the Rocky Mountain region and in California. A well known and widely distributed 'Western jay is Steller's jay (Cyanoeitta Stelleri), varieties of which are known as the `black-headed jay,' blue fronted jay,' and 'long-crested jay.' These birds are especially characteristic of the Rocky Moun tain and Sierra Nevada regions, while the typical form is seen from Oregon to Alaska, replacing the blue jay of the East. These jays have the whole head, neck, and back sooty-blackish or brownish, the remainder of the plumage, blue of some shade, with black markings on the wings. Their habits are similar to those of the Eastern bird. One other North American jay deserves mention, not only because of its beauty, but because it repre sents a group of jays characteristic of the warmer parts of America, notable for brilliancy of plumage. This is the Rio Grande jay (San thoura luxuosa), abundant in some parts of the lower Rio Grande Valley. It is about the size of the blue jay, but has no crest, and the prevailing colors are green above and greenish-yellow below, but the sides of the bead, the chin, throat and breast, and markings on the wings are black, while the top of the head is rich blue and the forehead is white. The nest and eggs are similar to those of the less gorgeous jays.
Consult: Dresser, Birds of Europe (London, 1879) ; Newton, Dictionary of Birds (London and New York, 1893-96) ; Cones, Birds of the Northwest (Washington, 1874) ; Keyser, Birds of the Rockies (Chicago, 1902).
JAY, Sir JA31ES (17:32-1815). An American physician, brother of John Jay. He was born in New York City, studied medicine, and became a practicing physician. He was instrumental in obtaining the endowments for King's (now Co lumbia) College, New York, and Benjamin Frank lin's projected college (now the University of Pennsylvania ) in Philadelphia. For the pur pose of soliciting contributions for these colleges, he visited England in 1732, where he was knighted by the King, George DI. His writings include two pamphlets relating to the collections made for the colleges in America (1771 and 1774), and Reflections and Observations on the Gout (1772).
JAY, Jolts (1745-1829). An eminent Ameri can statesman and jurist. He was born in New York City, December 12, 1745, of French Hugue not descent, and was the son of Peter Jay, a wealthy merchant. He passed his childhood at Rye, N. Y., was educated in New Rochelle, N. Y., and at King's (now Columbia) College, where he graduated in 1764; studied law in the office of Benjamin Kissam in New York City: was ad mitted to the bar in 176S, and soon attained eminence in his profession. In 1770 he was one of the group of lawyers, several of whom later became famous. who formed the professional club known as 'The Moot.' He was made secretary of the commission appointed to determine the dis puted boundary between New York and Con necticut in February, 1773, and in April of the following year married, at Elizabeth, N. J., Sarah Livingston, the daughter of William Liv ingston (q.v.), thus allying himself with one of the most influential Whig families in the Mid dle Colonies. In the pre-Revolutionary disturb ances, though insistent for what he considered to be the rights of the Colonists, he allied himself with the conservative element in New York, and deprecated the radicalism of such men as Isaac Sears and John Lamb, the leaders of the 'Sons of Liberty.' In May, 1774, he was made a mem der of the important Committee of Fifty-One in New York, appointed "to correspond with our sister Colonies on all matters of moment," which was controlled by the conservative element and opposed all acts of violence. The answer sent by it to the communication of May 13th from Bos ton urging New York to concur in a policy of non-importation and of a discontinuance of trade with the West Indian Islands is attributed to Jay. Jay was a delegate to the first Continental
Congress in 1774, was a member of the committee appointed "to state the rights of the Colonies in general," supported Galloway's celebrated plan for an accommodation with the mother coun try (see GALLOWAY, JOSEPH ) , and drafted the ad dress to the people of Great Britain. After his return to New York he was an influential member of the dominating Committee of Inspection and of the Committee of Observation, which succeeded it; was a member of the committee for the re lief of Boston, and was also a member of the so called Provincial Convention, an electoral body, by which he was chosen one of the ,delegates of New York to the second Continental Congress. He became a colonel of New York City militia, and in 1776 was chosen a member of the Provincial Congress of New York, by which body he was called away in May from the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, thus fail ing to become a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Of the Provincial Congress. later called the 'Convention of the Representatives of the State of New York,' which assembled in July, 1776, lie was also a member. He drafted the resolution which was passed authorizing the New York delegates in the Continental Congress to sign the Declaration; was chairman of a secret military committee vested with extraor dinary powers, which was appointed at the time of Lord Howe's expected passage up the Hudson River; was a member of other important com mittees; and in December, 1776, was the author of an address issued by the Convention to the people of the Colony. Early in the following year he had an important share in the drafting of the Constitution and Bill of Rights for the State of New York. Upon the adoption of that instru ment, he was made a member of a Council of Safety and was appointed chief justice pro tem. pore, being regularly confirmed early in Septem ber. Late in 1778 he again became a member of Congress, without vacating his seat on the bench, and on December 10th be was elected president of that body to succeed Henry Laurens, in which position he remained until September 28. 1779, when he was succeeded by Samuel Huntington, having previously, on August 10th, resigned the chief justiceship. In September, 1779. he was appointed United States Minister to Spain, and on October 20th started on his mission. He was never officially received by the Span ish Government, which, though allied with France and at war with Great Britain, stead ily refused to recognize the independence of the United States. Aside from securing a few small loans, he was able to accomplish nothing, and after an unsatisfactory, and, in many re spects. a humiliating sojourn of two years. he proceeded to Paris in the early summer of 1782 to join Franklin in negotiating the treaty of peace with Great Britain. The two were later joined by John Adams. In this capacity Jay, along with his fellow-commissioners, rendered an invaluable service to his country. and he himself is considered to have had perhaps a predominant share, on the American side. in the delicate negotiation, which resulted in the signing of the treaty of 1783. Jay returned to New York in 1784. refusing appointments both to the Eng lish and the French courts. and from that time to 1789 was Secretary for Foreign Affairs under the Confederation. lie strongly approved of the Federal Constitution drawn up by the Philadel phia Convention of 1787, and cooperated with Alexander Hamilton to secure its ratification by New writing some of t he papers known collectively as the E,dcralist (q.v.). and taking an active part in the debates in the State Convention at Poughkeepsie. Upon the organiza tion of the Federal Government Jay was allowed by Washington his choice of all the public offices to be tilled by the ]'resident's appointment. and chose that of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. which position he filled with marked dignity and ability until 1795. In 1794 he was sent to Eng land to negotiate with regard to various matters then in dispute between the two countries. and concluded with Lord Grenville what is known in American history the Jay Treaty (q.v.). From 1795 to 1801, for two terms. lie was ernor of the State of New York. and thereafter, refusing an appointment to his old position as Chief Justice, he lived in retirement on his estates at Bedford in Westehester County, N. Y.. until his loath. on Slay 17. 1829. Politically, .Tay was ranked with Hamilton as one of the ablest and most influential leaders of the Federalist Party. Consult: II. P. Johnston (ed.). Corr' spondenee and Public Pap, es of John Jay (4 vols.. New York. 1s9o-93$ : William Jay. Life of John Jay. with Nt /cctions from /Hs Correspondence and Tlise,//amous Pavers (2 vols.. NI.• York. 1833) Pellew, John Jay (BoAon. 1890). in the can statesmen and Whiteloeke. Life and Tinus of John Jay New York.