Vol. 30, pp. 185-188 December 1, 1917 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SUBSPECIES OF PERISO- 



REUS OBSCURUS. 



BY HARRY C. OBERHOLSER, 



Mr. S. F. Rathbun, of Seattle, Washington, some time since 

 directed the writer's attention to apparent subspecific differences 

 in the Oregon jays from northwestern Washington. A series 

 of 20 specimens from the vicinity of Puget Sound and Lake 

 Crescent, Washington, has now been brought together, largely 

 through the efforts of Mr. Rathbun. For the loan of one 

 specimen we are further indebted to Mr. F. S. Wright. This 

 material confirms the existence in this region of a well marked 

 geographic race which has apparently no available name. As 

 Mr. Rathbun very generously insists that I shall describe this 

 new subspecies, and has presented the type and three other 

 specimens of his series to the Biological Survey collection in the 

 United States National Museum, I take pleasure in compli- 

 menting him by calling it 



Perisoreus obscurus rathbuni, subsp. nov. 



Chars, subsp. — Similar to Perisoreus obscurus obscurus, but somewhat 

 larger; upper parts, posterior to the cervix, darker, much more slaty 

 (less brownish); light nuchal collar averaging broader and more whitish; 

 and cap darker, much more blackish (less brownish). 



Description. — Type, adult male, No. 828, collection of S. F. Rathbun; 

 Lake Crescent, Clallam County, Washington, April 21, 1916; S. F. Rath- 

 bun, original number, 828. Forehead and nasal plumes, creamy white; 

 center of crown dull creamy white, the feathers tipped with fuscous; 

 sides of crown to the middle of eyes, occiput, supra-auricular region, and 

 crescent reaching half way down on the sides of the neck, brownish 

 black ; a broad nuchal collar brownish white ; back and scapulars, fus- 

 cous, somewhat mixed with mouse gray, the feathers with dull whitish 



45— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. 30. 1917. (185) 



