106 BULLETIN 191, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Nesting dates seem to differ considerably in different parts of the 

 peninsula, for J. Stuart Rowley (1935) says: "My notes show that on 

 the last of April along the shore of Concepcion Bay on the Gulf, many 

 nests of this jay were found, and without exception all contained newly 

 hatched young. Then, after crossing the peninsula to the Llano de Yrais 

 on the pacific slope, no nests were found occupied, but young were 

 flying about in nearly full plumage (specimen of such juvenal collected 

 there). When we reached Miraflores, in the Cape district, nesting 

 activities were just beginning and from May 10 to 19, inclusive, at 

 this locality eight sets of two eggs each and five sets of three eggs 

 were taken. * * * To the northward, at San Ignacio, only one nest was 

 found to hold even eggs, three fresh being taken on April 27 ; the 

 majority of birds were apparently just building here." 



One of the sets, now in the Doe collection, was taken by Mr. Rowley 

 from a nest placed in the center of cardon growth 6 feet up. 



Eggs. — Two or three eggs seem to be the usual complement for 

 Xantus's jay, and oftener two than three constitute a full set. Mr. 

 Rowley (1935) located over 50 occupied nests and never found more 

 than three eggs or young in a nest, and he thinks three are "rather 

 uncommon." 



Major Bendire (1895) says that the two eggs in the United States 

 National Museum, taken by Xantus in 1860, "have a pale bluish-green 

 ground color and are spotted over the entire surface with small mark- 

 ings of grayish brown, which are slightly heavier about the larger end 

 of the egg. The eggs are ovate in shape and slightly glossy." 



Mr. Bancroft (1930) says that "laying begins in April, tv.o eggs bein^' 

 the usual number. Reversing the customary order, as the season pro- 

 gresses the size of the c,lutch increases until, in June, we found three 

 more often than two. That number represents the largest set of which 

 we have knowledge. The eggs differ from those of any other subspecies 

 of the California Jay in averaging a very much greener background 

 and in being marked with decidedly finer spots." 



Mr. Doe tells me that the eggs referred to above are "very dark 

 emerald green, obscurely spotted with gray brown." 



The measurements of 50 eggs average 27.2 by 20.2 millimeters; the 

 eggs showing the four extremes measure 30.1 by 22.8, 23.4 by 17.8, 

 and 26.8 by 13.5 millimeters. 



