388 niSTORY OF THE 



lowed, the bird when on the nest showing only part of her bill 

 and tail, pointing almost directly upward. At a distance it 

 would be taken for a squirrel's nest. Capt. Chas. Bendire writes 

 me that, during the month of April, 1876-8, he found, in the 

 vicinity of Camp Harney, Oregon, quite a number of their nests, 

 as described above, with eggs, and gives the following dimen- 

 sions of four eggs: 1.30x.92, 1.26x.95, 1.22 x. 95, 1.20x.90. 

 Usual number three; ground color light grayish green, irregu- 

 larly spotted and blotched with a deeper shade of gray, prin- 

 cipally about the larger end; elongated oval in shape, and 

 considerably pointed at the smaller end. 



Genus CYANOCEPHALUS Bonaparte. 

 "Bill elongated, compressed, shorter than the tarsus, longer than the head, 

 ■without notch, similar to that of sturnella in shape. Culmen nearly straight; 

 commissure curved; gonys ascending. Nostrils small, oval, entirely exposed, 

 the bristly feathers at the base of the bill being very minute. Tail short, nearly 

 even, much shorter than the pointed wings, which cover three-fourths of the 

 tail. Tarsi considerably longer than the middle toe. Color of the single specie* 

 blue, most Intense anteriorly; the throat streaked with white." 



Cyanocephalus cyanocephalus (Wied.). 



PINON JAY. 

 PLATE XXV. 



A rare visitant. Three specimens shot, out of a flock of six 

 or seven, near Lawrence, October 23, 1875. (Eeported by Prof. 

 F. H. Snow.) 



B, 431. R. 285. C. 345. G. 144, 188. U. 492. 



Habitat. Eocky Mountain region, and coast range of the Pa- 

 cific slope; north into British America; south to Mexico. 



Sp. Chak. "Wings considerably longer than tail, and reaching to within an 

 inch of its tip. Tail nearly even. General color dull blue, paler on the abdo- 

 men, the middle of which is tinged with ash; the head and neck of a much 

 deeper and more intense blue, darker on the crown. Chin and fore part of the: 

 throat whitish, streaked with blue. Young bird not differing in markings." 



The above are the average measurements of several pairs; 

 they vary somewhat in size, one of the females being fully as 



large as the males. 



