CVAXOCITTA. 353 



Genus CYANOCITTA Strickland. (Page 351, pi. C, fig. 1.) 



Sjyecies. 



Common Characters. — Upper parts mainlj- blue, the secondaries and tail 

 (sometimes greater coverts also) barred with black ; head black or varied with 

 lilack ; lower parts uniform blue, or whitish with a black collar across chest. 



"'. Lower parts whitish ; greater wing-coverts, secondaries, and tail-feathers (ex- 

 cept middle pair) broadly tipped with white. (Adult: Crest and back light 

 purplish blue ; wings and tail bright cobalt-blue, the greater coverts, sec- 

 ondaries, and tail barred with black ; sides of head, chin, and throat jiurplish 

 whitish, bordered posteriorly by a black collar, commencing under the crest, 

 widening into a crescent across chest, and sending forward a streak to the 

 eye ; lores and narrow frontal band also black ; breast and sides smoky 

 grayish, belly and under tail-coverts white. Young: Similar, but colors 

 duller and less sharplj^ contrasted.) 

 6'. Larger, with more white on tips of secondaries and tail-feathers (on outer 

 tail-feather 1.00, or more, in extent) ; length 11.00-12.50, wing 5.00-5.70 

 (5.2S), tail 5.05-5.70 (5.36), exposed culmen .93-1.00 (1.00), tarsus 1.24- 

 1.45 (1.37). JW'St of dried twigs, rootlets, etc., built usually in trees, often 

 in orchards or about houses. Ejgs 3-6, 1.10 X -81, pale olive, isabella- 

 color, greenish, or buiiy, rather sparsely spotted or speckled with brown. 

 Ilab. Eastern North America, except Florida, north to Fur Countries, 



west to Great Plains 477. C. cristata (Linn.). Blue Jay. 



fc'. Smaller, with less white on tips of secondaries and tail-feathers (that on 

 outer tail-feather less than 1.00 in extent) ; length 10.00-11.50, wing 4.80- 

 5.30 (5.02), tail 4.80-5.50 (5.08), culmen .9.3-1.03 (.98), tarsus 1.26-1.42 

 (1.34). Ilab. Florida and along the Gulf coast to Texas. 



477a. C. cristata florincola Coues. Florida Blue Jay. 

 fl'. Lower parts blue; wing and tail without any white. 

 b\ No whitish spot over eye. 



c*. Head (including crest), neck, and back deep black, or lirownish l>lack, 

 the forehead not conspicnoush- (often not at all) streaked on fore- 

 head with blue ; blue of secondaries and tail a deep Berlin-blue shade, 

 that of rump and lower parts paler; length about 12.00-13.00, wing 

 5.55-6.20 (5.86), tail 5.30-6.35 (5.74), culmen .96-1.18 (1.09), tarsus 

 1.55-1.81 (1.72). Kest in coniferous trees. Egf/s 3-5, 1.24 X -92, usu- 

 all}- pale bluish green, speckled with clove-brown, sometimes pale 

 greenish gra)-, speckled with reddish brown. Ilnb. Northwest 

 coast, north to Sitka, south to northern California (on coast oidy). 

 478. C. stelleri (Gmel.). Steller's Jay. 

 c*. Ilead, neck, and back brownish slatj-, the crest more or less stn^igly 

 tinged with blue, and forehead conspicuoush* streaked with the 

 same ; blue of secondaries and tail much lighter (deep azure), that 

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