CALIFORNIA JAY 95 



with different shades of sage green. The eggs having a buffy ground 

 color are spotted, blotched, and speckled with different shades of ferru- 

 ginous, cinnamon, rufous, and occasionally lavender. The markings are 

 generally scattered over the entire surface of the egg, and are usually 

 heavier about the larger end, but nowhere so profuse as to hide the 

 ground color." 



The measurements of 50 eggs average 27.6 by 20.5 millimeters; the 

 eggs showing the four extremes measure 30.6 by 21.8, 30.2 by 22.4, 

 24.4 by 19.3, and 25.4 by 18.8 millimeters. 



Young. — Bendire (1895) says that the male assists "to some extent 

 in incubation, which lasts about sixteen days. The young are able to 

 leave the nest in about eighteen days, and follow the parents for some 

 time." Mrs. Wheelock (1904) says that "the male assists in the nest- 

 building, but not in the incubation. The latter requires fourteen days. 

 * * * One of the first lessons the young Jays learn is to love the water. 

 It requires some coaxing for the first splash, but they seem to take to 

 their bath as do little ducks, and to find it just as necessary as food." 



Plumages. — The young jay is hatched naked and blind ; probably 

 some form of natal down appears in advance of the ju venal plumage, 

 though I have not seen it. Ridgway (1904) gives the following detailed 

 description of the juvenal plumage: "Pileum, hind neck, auricular and 

 suborbital regions, sides of chest, rump, and upper tail-coverts uniform 

 mouse gray, the pileum slightly m.ore bluish gray; back, scapulars, and 

 lesser wing-coverts deep drab-gray ; lores dusky ; a broad postocular 

 and supra-auricular space, narrowly streaked with dusky gray; anterior 

 portion of malar region, chin, throat, median portion of chest and under 

 parts generally white, faintly tinged across upper breast and on anterior 

 portion of sides with very pale brownish gray; wings (except smaller 

 coverts) and tail as in adults." 



The postjuvenal molt begins early in July, and I have seen a young 

 bird beginning to molt on the throat and upper breast as early as June 

 29. This molt involves all the contour plumage and the lesser wing 

 coA'erts, but not the rest of the wings and tail. I have seen no specimens 

 showing the latter part of this molt, but it is apparently completed 

 before September, when young birds become practically adult. 



Adults have a complete postnuptial molt, which seems to be accom- 

 plished mainly in August; the plumage becomes much worn and faded 

 during late spring and early summer, the blue wearing off on the head, 

 exposing the dusky bases of the feathers, the brown of the back fading, 

 and the under parts becoming soiled and browner ; I have seen birds 

 molting in August and others in full fresh plumage as early as Sep- 

 tember 24. 



