422 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



CXCVI. NUCIFRAGA Brisson. 1760. 

 491. Clarke Nutcracker. 



Nucifraga columhiana (Wils.) Aud. 1834. 



British Columbia. {Lord.) Abundant summer resident through- 

 out the coniferous forests of the interior. (Streator.) A common 

 resident east of the Coast range; west, but very rarely, to Vancouver 

 island ; abundant in the pine belts along the Similkameen and along 

 the Cariboo road above Clinton. (Fannin.) Resident in the 

 mountains; rarely descending to the valleys. (Brooks.) This 

 species was rather common at Banfif, Rocky mountains, in 1891, 

 and breeding in the mountains; common in the Crow Nest pass in 

 August, 1897; in the summer of 1885, when the Canadian Pacific 

 railway was being built through the Rocky and Selkirk mountains, 

 this bird was very common around the camps and apparently living 

 on their refuse. (Macoun.) Early in the spring of 1890 this species 

 was quite common at Revelstoke, B.C., but soon retired to the 

 mountains; they were common at Deer Park, Lower Arrow lake, 

 Columbia river, B.C., on June 4th, 1890, when fully fledged young 

 were shot; at Robson, B.C., they were abundant on the mountain 

 sides later in the month; observed on all the mountains between 

 Trail and Cascade, B.C., near the International Boundary, in the 

 summer of 1902; rare at Elko in the spring of 1904; in 1905 and 

 1906 it was common along the International Boundary from Midway 

 west to Chilliwack lake ; in May and June, 1 889, this species was far from 

 uncommon at Spence Bridge and up the Nicola valley where they 

 seemed to be breeding; observed a few in the mountains at Chilli- 

 wack lake, B.C., in July, 1901. (Spreadborough.) Common during 

 the winter of 1897-98 at Lake Okanagan, B.C., but entirely absent 

 the next winter; many remained to breed in 1898, and they also 

 bred in 1897; they lay in February. I shot an adult female at 

 Comox, Vancouver island, February i8th, 1904. This is a very 

 rare straggler on Vancouver island. (Brooks.) This species extends 

 from the summit of the Coast range to the summit of the Rocky 

 mountains, in British Columbia, in summer. Rare at CUnton and 

 Lac la Hache, but wintering wherever found. The Indians de- 

 clare they breed in February and again in July. (Rhoads.) 



The first specimen of Clarke's crow taken in Alaska was one cap- 

 tured by Bischoff at Sitka; only two other Alaskan records are 



