THE MUSEUM. 



A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. 



Vol. V. 



ALBION, N. Y., SEPTEMBER 15. 1899 



No 1 1 



_THE MUSEUM 



A Monthly Magazine devoted to Ornithology, 



Oology, Mollusca, Echinodermata, 



Mineralogy and Allied 



Sciences. 



Walter F. Webb, Editor and Manager 

 Albion. N. Y. 



Corresixindence and lt*ms of Interest on above top- 

 ics, as well a.-! notes on the various Museums of the 

 World— views from same, discoveries relative to the 

 handling and keeping ol Natural History material, 

 descriptive habits of various species, are solicited 

 from all. 



Make articles as brief as possible and as free from 

 technical terms as the subjects will allow. All letters 

 will be promptly answered. 



TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION . 



Single Sub.scriptlon fWo peranauni 



SampleCoples ftc each 



ADVERTISING RATES. 



5 cents per Nonpareil line each Insertion. Twelve 

 lines to the Inch. 



Cash must uocompany all orders. 



Remittances should be made by Draft, Express or 

 Post Ofllce Order or Registered Letter. 



Unused U. S. Postage Stamps of any denomination 

 accepted for small amounts. 



MUSEUM PUB. CO.. 



ALBION. OnLEANS CO.. N. Y. 



Sntertd at Albion po$t-office at »€cond-clais mail matter 



The Jays and Crows of Southern 

 California. 



Cyanocitta stcllcri frontalis (Ridg- 

 way). 



Aphclocouia californica obscura 

 (Anthony), 



Corviis corax sinnatus (WagI). 

 Coi 7US cryptolcncus (Couch). 

 Corvns aiiiericanus (Hud.) 

 ■Xucifraga Columbiana (Wils. ) 

 Cyanoccplialus cyanoccplialus(\^'\t,A) 

 The above seven species comprise 

 the list of members of the family Cor- 

 vidie. either occurring as migrants or 

 as residents in this state, south of the 

 Tehachipi mountains. These moun- 

 tains serve as a dividing line for the 

 distribution of many species both 



avain and mammalian. For instance, 

 to the north of these mountains the 

 prevailing form of Otocoris is sup- 

 posed to be 0. alpcstris nibca and 

 that to the south O. alpcstris chryso- 

 lacma. 



The Blue-fronted Jay occurs during 

 the breeding season among the con- 

 iferous trees of the higher mountains 

 and occasionally wanders down among 

 the oaks of the lower hills during the 

 winter. Dr. Joseph Grunel in his 

 Hand List of the Birds of the Pacific 

 Slope of Los Angeles Co. states that 

 the bird is a late breeder and cites 

 two sets taken on June i, 1895, and 

 June 4, 1896, as examples. The bird 

 is somewhat larger than our local 

 species, Belding's Jay. and is, I be- 

 lieve less noisy and quarrelsome. 

 \'ery rarely, and then only during the 

 most severe of our winters, one ap- 

 pears at this altitude. 500 feet, and 

 sometimes remains a few days among 

 the Jays of this region. 



But oui old standby is the southern 

 form of the California Jay. If ever 

 there was a noisy braggart in the 

 feathered tribes it is this fellow in .his 

 brilliant coat of blue with grayish- 

 white trimmings. Though this bird is 

 numerous and noisy during the winter 

 it gradually becomes more quiet until 

 the breeding season is over when he 

 again resumes his boisterous ways and 

 comes freely about houses and barns. 

 Nests with eggs may be found from 

 April 1st to May 30th but the best 

 time to look for them, and in fact the 

 best time to collect in this county, is 

 from May loth to June ist. My first 

 set for this year was taken on May 

 lOth. On May 5th the nest contain- 

 ed one egg. I returned every morn- 

 ing thereafter until the 7th when there 



h 



