588 



U. S. p. R. R EXP AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



List of specimens. 



CYANOCITTA ULTRAMARINA, Strickl. 



TJItramarine Jay. 



Garnilus tdlrainarimis, Bonap. J. A. N. So. IV, 1825, 386. Not of Audubon. 



Cyanocilta uUramarina, Strickland, Ann. & Mag. XV, 1845, 260.— Gambel, J. A. N. Se. 9(1 Ser. I, 1847, 45. 



Cyanogarruhij ultramarinus, Bon. Consp. 1850, 378 ; quotes PI. Col. 439. 



Sp. Ch. — Tail rounded, but little graduated ; lateral feather about a quarter of an inch shortest. Wings longer than the tail, 

 when closed roiching nearly to its middle. Above and on sides of head and neck bright blue ; the lores blackish ; the middle of 

 the back slightly duller, the tips of some of the feathers dark brown. Beneath brownish ash, paler on the chin and 

 towards the anal region, which, with the crissum, is white. No trace of white or black on the sides of the head, nor of any 

 streaks or collar on the breast. Length, (fresh,) 11.50; wing, 6 ; tail, (dried,) 5.40 ; tarsus, 1.50. 



Hub. — South side of ralley of Rio Grande, near the coast, and southward. 



This well marked species is quite different in form from the C. californica, having a shorter, 

 more even tail, much longer wings, and stouter feet. The absence of any collar or streaks on 

 the breast and throat, of black or white on the side of the head, and of decided ash on the back, 

 are very well marked features. Tliere is also much more green in the blue of the head. 



I am in considerable doubt whether this is the original Garrulus ultramarinus of 

 Bonaparte, as the latter appears to be much larger than Lieut. Couch's bird ; the length 

 amounting to 13 inches; the tail, 7 inches; the bill, 1.50 inches. The closed wings reach 

 almost to the middle of the tail, which is perfectly even at the tip. Gambel says the wing is 

 7 inches long ; the tail, 6.75 ; tarsus, 1.75. The measurements given in Conspectus Avium, ot 

 length 11 inches, wing 5f , answer much better to the species here described. Should there be 

 two species, therefore, and the smaller be not named, I shall propose to call it C. couchii, in 

 honor of its indefatigable discoverer, Lieut. D. N. Couch, of the United States army, who, at 

 his own risk and cost, undertook a journey into northern Mexico when the country was 

 swarming with bands of marauders, and made large collections in all branches of zoology, 

 which have furnished a great amount of information respecting the natural history of our 

 borders and the geographical distribution of the vertebrata generally. 



List of specimens. 



