CORVID.-E — THE CROWS. 



271 



pait-pait, with a variety of chattering notes, in tone resembling the human 

 voice, which, indeed, they can be taught to imitate. 



An egg of this species from Monterey, California, is of a rounded oval 

 shape, a little less obtuse at one end than the other. The ground-color is a 

 light drab, so closely marked with fine cloudings of an obscure lavender 

 color as nearly to conceal the ground, and to give the egg the appearance of 

 an almost uniform violet-brown. It measures 1.20 inches in length by .90 

 in breadth. 



Genus CYANURA, Swainson. 



Cyanuru^, Swainson, F. Bor.-Am. II, 1831, 495, Appendix. (Type, Corvus cristatus, 



Linn.) 

 Cyanocitta, Cabanis, Mus. Hein. 1851 (not of Strickland, 1845). 



GrEN. Char. Head crested. Wings and tail blue, with transverse black bars ; head and 

 back of the same color. Bill rather slender, somewhat broader than high at the base ; 



Cyanitra cristata. 



culraen about equal to the head. Nostrils large, nearly circular, concealed by bristles. 

 Tail about as long as the wings, lengthened, graduated. Hind claw large, longer than 

 its digit. 



Species and Varieties. 



■ Common Characters. Wings and tail deep blue, the latter, with the second- 

 aries and tertials, sometimes also the greater coverts, barred with black. 



A. Greater coverts, tertials, secondaries, and tail-feathers tipped broadly 

 with white ; lower parts generally, including lateral and under parts of 

 head, whitish. 



C. cristata. Head above, back, scapulars, lesser wing-coverts, rump 

 and upper tail-coverts, light ashy purplish-blue ; a narrow frontal band, 

 a loral spot, streak behind the eye, and collar round the neck, com- 

 mencing under the crest, passing down across the end of the ain-iculars 

 and expanding into a crescent across the jugulum, black; throat tinged 

 with purplish-gray, the breast and sides with smoky-gray ; abdomen, 

 anal region, and crissum pure white. Wing, 5.70 ; tail, 6.00; bill, 1.25; 

 tarsus, 1.35 ; middle toe, .85 ; crest, 2.20. Hab. Eastern Province of 

 North America. 



