422 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — PASSERES— OSCINES. 



this sooty color passing insensibly on the rump and breast into dull blue. Wings and tail 

 richer blue, crossed with numerous black bars, not on the secondary coverts, liill and feet 

 black. Young more fuliginous, the wing-bars faint if not wanting. Size of the Eastern jay, 

 or rather larger. Pacific coast region, Oregon to Alaska, E. to the Rocky Mts., where inoscu- 

 lating with C. s. macrolopha. This is the typical form, with little or no blue, no whitish on 

 head, and uubaiTcd wing-coverts ; running through annectens, frontalis, and macrolopha into 

 some very different Mexican forms. Habits, nest, and eggs as described under macrolopha. 



351. C. s. annec'tens. (Lat. annectens, annexing.) Black-headed Jay. This name has been 

 given to specimens directly connecting stelleri and macrolopha. General tone of the former ; 

 quite blackish, short-crested, with ])lain wing- coverts ; but blue frontal streaks and whitish 

 eye-patch of the latter. N. Rocky Mts., U. S. 



353 C. s. fronta'lis. (Lat. frontalis, pertaining to frons, the forehead.) Blue-fronted Jay. 

 Sierra Jay. An offset from stelleri ; the sooty color rather brownish than blackish ; the blue 

 of different shade on body from the deep indigo on wings and tail ; whole crest glossed with 

 bluish, and conspicuous blue streaks on forehead ; no whitish eye-patches ; wing-coverts 

 obsoletely or not barred. Sierras Nevadas of California. 



352. C. s. macrolopha. (Gr. (laKpos, makros, long ; Xocpoi, lophos, crest. Fig. 275.) LoNG- 

 CRESTED Jay. Better marked than the connecting links. $ 9 - Upper parts sooty umber- 

 brown, with a faint blue 

 tinge, blackening on 

 head and neck all 

 around in decided con- 

 trast, passing on rump 

 and upper taU-coverts 

 into beautiful light co- 

 balt-blue ; passing on 

 fore breast into the 

 same blue which occu- 

 pies all the under parts. 

 Crest black, but faced 

 on forehead with bluish- 

 white, which, when the 



Fig. 275. — Long-cresteclJay, nat. size. (Ad nat. del. E. C.) feathers are not dis- 



turbed, runs iu two parallel lines from the nostrils upward — these colored tips of the feathers of 

 firmer texture than their basal portions. One or both eyelids patclied with white. Chin ab- 

 ruptly whitish, streaky. Exposed surfaces of wings rich indigo-blue, most intense on the 

 inner secondaries, which, with the greater coverts, are regularly and firmly barred across both 

 webs vrith black ; the outer webs of the primaries lighter blue, more like that of the rump or 

 under parts. Upper surface of tail rich indigo, like the secondaries, and similarly black-barred ; 

 these bands most distinct towards the ends and on the outer webs of the feathers ; tail viewed 

 from below appearing mostly blackish. Iris dark. Bill and feet black. Length 12.00-13.00; 

 extent 17.00-19.00 ; wing 5.50-6.50; tail the same; bill 1.12; tarsus 1.50; middle toe and 

 claw 1.33. Sexes quite alike, but 9 ^t the lesser dimensions given. Crest longer than in 

 northern stelleri, sometimes 3.00. Young : Much more sooty ; below entirely fuliginous, with 

 the future blue indicated by an ashy or grayish shade. Wings and tail nearly as bright blue as 

 in the adult, but the black bars faint or wanting. Crest shorter, not quite black, not fiiced with 

 blue, and no white about eyes. This form melts into C. diademata of Mexico, which is 

 bluer; and this is near the quite blue C. coronata. Rocky Mt. region, U. S., especially 

 southerly; a common bird of the pine belt, displaying in marked degree the notorious attributes 

 of its genus, or genius. Nest in trees and bushes, usually concealed vdth art, though bulky; 



