CROWS, JAYS, MAGPIES, ETC. 273 



it gleans from abandoned camps, and in Arizona, though resident 

 up to 10,000 feet, is often seen on the high rail fences built to keep 

 range cattle within bounds. 



Chack-ah, chack-ah, chack-ah, chack, the jay squalls, jerking his 

 tail and dashing about, soaring down with short wings wide-spread, 

 lighting on the side of a tree to inspect the cracks in the bark, or 

 dropping to the ground to hunt for fallen mast. 



In flight the crest is sometimes lowered almost to the horizontal, 

 but, as a small Arizona observer noted, "when they holler they 

 stick that right straight up." This 'hollering' includes a squeal 

 which is so close to that of the red-tailed hawk as to be a good test 

 to the ear of the observer. 



478a C. s. frontalis {Ridgw.). Blue-fronted Jay.i 



^Idults. — Fore parts of body brownish slate, with blue tinge to crest and 

 blue streaks on forehead ; wings and tail dark blue, barred ; rump and 

 under parts dull turquoise. Length : 11.75-13.00, wing 5.50-6.10, tail 5.10- 

 5,75, exposed eulnien 1.00-1.20. 



Distribution. — Southern coast ranges and Sierra Nevada of California 

 and western Nevada, from Fort Crook south to northern Lower California. 



Nest. — Like that of stelleri usually in firs, cedars, and pines, but some- 

 times in snowsheds and natural cavities in trees and stubs, from 4 to 50 

 feet from the ground. Eggs : o to 5, like those of stelleri. 



Food. — Acorns, pine seeds, and a variety of animal and vegetable mat- 

 ter. 



478b. C. s. diademata (Bonap.). Long-crested Jay. 



Like C. s. annectens. but white spot over eye always conspicuous and 

 streaking on forehead whitish ; black of head in sharp contrast to gray of 

 back; chest bluisli ; blue of belly and rump dull turquoise as iu frontalis. 

 Lenqth : 1 1.75-1.!. 7'). wing 5. Cm-C). 40, tail 5. 2."j-G.25, exposed culmen 1.03- 

 1.14. 



Distribution. — Resident in Transition and Canadian zones in the south- 

 ern liocky Mountains from southern Wyoming south to Zacatecas, Mex- 

 ico, west to Uintah Mountains, Ltah. and liigli mountains of Arizona. 



Nest. — Similar to that of stelleri. usually in small bushy pines or other 

 conifers S to 15 feet from the ground. Eggs: 3 to 0, similar to those of 

 stelleri. 



Food. — Partly gra.sslioppers and pine seeds. 



478c. C. s. annectens (liaird). Black-headed Jay. 



Head black, back slaty, bbit' of under parts dark as in stelleri ; streaks 

 on forthfdd hhtish >/7//^ , soniftinHs indistinct ; small iihite sj)ot over eyt. 



licninrks. — Tilt' black-hcadfd has the general body coloi*s of the Steller 

 jay, with tht^ eye spot and stn^aks approaching thost* of tlie long-crested. 

 Length: 12-50^13.75, wing 5.0U-0.00, tail 5.60-0.05, exposed culmen .97- 

 1.08. 



' Cynnnritlfi stelleri rarlionacea Oriiinell. 



Like/ron/n/n, but darker, frontal blue sjwts restricted ; head darker than back, back 

 warm Blate f?ray. 



Distribution. — Coast of California, Monterey County, north to Oregon; Oregon west 

 to CascadeH, including east slope of Cascades. {The Condor, ii. 1*27 ; iv. 41.) 



