270 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Pica caudata, var. nuttalli, Aud. 



YELLOW- BILLED MAGPIE. 



Pica nuttalli, Aud. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 450, pi. ccclxii. — Is. Syn. 1839, 152. — Ib. Birds 

 Am. IV, 1842, 104, pi. ccxxviii. — Bon. List, 1838. — Ib. Conspectus, 1850, 383.— 

 NuTTALL, Man. I, (2d ed.,) 1840, 236. — Newberry, Rep. P. K. R. VI, iv, 1857, 84. 

 — Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 578, pi. xxvi. — Heerm. X, S, 54. — Cooper, Orn. 

 Cal. I, 1870, 295. Cleptes nuttalli, Gambel, J. A. N. Sc. Pli. 2d Series, I, 1847, 46. 



Sp. Char. Bill, and naked skin behind the eye, bright yellow ; otherwise similar to P. 

 hudsonica. Length, 17.00; wing, 8.00; tail, 10.00. 



Hab. California (Sacramento Valley, and southern coast region). 



We cannot look upon the Yellow-billed Magpie otherwise than as a local 

 race of the common kind, since it is well known that among the Jays many 

 species have the bill either black or yellow according to sex, age, or locality ; 

 and as the Yellow-billed Magpie occupies a more southern locality than 

 usual, and one very different from that of the black-billed species, it well 

 may exhibit a special geographical variation. The great restriction in range 

 is anotlier argument in favor of its being a simple variety. 



Habits. The Yellow-billed Magpie seems to be exclusively a bird of 

 California, where it is very abundant, and where it replaces almost entirely 

 the more eastern form. Mr. Ridgway, who met with this variety only in 

 the valley of the Sacramento, states that he there found it very abundant 

 among the oaks of that region. It differed from the common Magpie in 

 being exceedingly gregarious, moving about among the oak groves in small 

 companies, incessantly chattering as it flew, or as it sat among the branches 

 of the trees. He saw many of their nests in the tops of the oaks, — indeed, 

 all were so situated, — yet he never met with the nests of the other species 

 in a higli tree, not even in the river valleys. The young of this Magpie 

 have tlie white of the scapulars marked with rusty triangular spots. 



Dr. Cooper found this Magpie abundant in the valleys of California, espe- 

 cially near the middle of the State, except during the spring months, when 

 none were seen in the Santa Clara Valley, the supposition being that they 

 had retired eastward to the mountains to build their nests. At Santa Bar- 

 bara he found them numerous in April and May, and saw their nests in oak- 

 trees. The young were already fledged by the 25th of April. The nest, he 

 states, is composed of a large mass of coarse twigs twisted together in a 

 spherical form, with a hole in the side. The eggs he saw resembled those 

 of the other species, and are described as being whitish-green, spotted with 

 cinereous-gray and olive-brown. They also breed abundantly about Mon- 

 terey. They have not been traced to the northern border of the State. 



Their food. Dr. Cooper adds, consists of almost everything animal and 

 vegetable that they can find, and they come about farms and gardens to pick 

 up whatever they can meet with. They have a loud call that sounds like 



