492 SYS TEMA TIC S Y NOP SIS. —PA S SERES — OS CINES. 



C. cyanoce'phaluG. (For etym. see the generic name. Fig. ;i32.) Blue Crow. Maxi- 

 milian's Jay. Cassin's Jay. Pinon Jay. Pinonero. $ : Dull blue, very variable 

 in intensity, nearly uuifi)rm, but brightest on head, fading on belly; throat with whitish 

 streaks; wings dusky on inner webs. Bill and feet black. Iris brown. Length 11.00-12.00; 

 extent 16.50-19.00 ; wing 5.50-6.00 ; tail about 4.50 ; bill 1.3:3, but from 1.25-1.50 ; ? smaller, 

 duller. Young grayish-blue, paler below. Rocky Mt. region to the Pacific coast ranges ; 

 much the same elevated distribution as the last, in the region of conifers, but rather more 

 southerly; X. only to British Columbia; S. to Lower California, western Texas, and northern 

 Mexico; E. casually to Kansas and Nebraska; decidedly gregarious, and very abundant in 

 some places, especially where the nut-pine {Pinus edulis) flourishes. A remarkable bird, com- 

 bining the form of a Crow with the color and habits of a Jay, and a peculiarly shaped bill. It 

 roves about in noisy restless flocks, sometimes of thousands, in search of food, which is pine 

 seeds, especially pinones, juniper berries, acorns, maize, etc. Breeds in c<jlonies of 10-150 

 pairs ; nest iu pinon pines and other evergreens, compact but bulky, measuring about 10.00 

 X 7.00 outside, with a cavity of 4.00 X 3.00, built of twigs, and fibrous bark-strips, grasses, 

 and rootlets well worked together; eggs 3-5, oftenest 4, 1.05 to 1.20 X 0.87, greenish- or 

 bluish-white, profusely spotted with brown and purplish in small and nearly uniform pattern 

 over the whole surface ; mostly laid in April and May ; young flocking by July. 



Subfamily CARRULIN>E: Jays and Pies. 



Wings much shorter than or about equalling tail, both rounded ; tip of wing formed by 

 4th-7th quills. Feet, as well as bill, usually weaker than in true Crows, and the birds are 

 more strictly arboricole, usually advancing by leaps when on the ground, to which they do not 

 habitually resort. In striking contrast to most Corvince, Jays are usually birds of bright and 

 varied colors, among which blue is most prominent ; and the head is frequently crested. The 

 sexes are nearly alike, and the changes of jilumage do not appear to be as great as is usual 

 among highly-colored birds, although some difi"erences are frequently observable. Our well- 

 known Blue Jay is a familiar illustration of the habits and traits of the species in general. They 

 are found in most parts of the world, and reach their highest development in the warmer por- 

 tions of America. With one boreal exception (Perisoreus), the genera of the Old and New 

 World are entirely different. 



It is proper to observe that while American Corvinre and GarniUu(r, upon which the fore- 

 going paragraphs are mainly drawn up, are readily distinguishable, the characters given may 

 require modification iu their application to the whole family, the different divisions of which 

 appear to intergrade closely. Our 6 genera are easily discriminated. 



Analysis of Genera. 

 Nostrils large, naked. 



Not crested. General color brown Psilorhinus 



Nostrils moder.ite, covered by feathers. 



First primary attenuated, falcate : tail exceedingly long, graduated. 



Not crested. Colors black, white, and iridescent Pica 



First primary not attenuated. Tail moderate. 



Crested. Blue : wings and tail barred with black Cynnocitia 



Not crested. Blue : wings and tail unbarred Ap/iflncoma 



Green and yellow, witli blue and black on Iiead Xan/liura 



Gray, with slaty wings and tail Pcrisoreus 



PSILORHl'NUS. (Gr. ■v//'tXdf, jisHos, smooth, bare, bald; pis, pivos, hris, hrinos, nose.) 

 Brown Jays. Smoky Pies. Nostrils exposed, lai-ge, rounded. Bill stout, with very con- 

 vex culmen, curved from the base. Wing and tail of about equal lengths, both rounded. Of 

 large size, and smoky-brown colur; not crested. 



