CORVID^ — THE CROWS. 293 



lower tail-coverts being pure white. Lores blue. Length, 13.00 ; wing, 6.20 ; tail, 5.70 ; 

 culmen, 1.30 ; depth of bill, .40 ; tarsus, 1.50 ; middle toe, .97. Fourth, fifth, and sixth 

 quills equal and longest, second shorter than ninth ; first 2.20 shorter than longest. 

 (18,279, Fort Buchanan, Arizona, December; Dr. Irwin.) Immature (8,469 (J, Copper 

 Mines, Arizona). The blue, except that of the wings and tail, replaced by dull ash ; 

 the blue feathers appearing in scattered patches. 



Hab. Arizona (Copper Mines, J. H. Clark ; and Fort Buchanan, Dr. Irwin, U. S. A.). 



The nearest ally of this race is the var. sordida of Mexico, which, how- 

 ever, differs in many important respects ; the differences between the two 

 being giving in the synopsis (page 880), it is unnecessary to repeat them 

 here. In both there is a tendency towards a party-colored bill ; each exam- 

 ple of the northern style, and most of those of the southern, having more 

 or less whitish on the lower mandible. 



Nothing detinite is known as to the habits or reproduction of this bird. 



Cyanocitta ultramarina, var. couchi, Baird. 



ULTRAMARINE JAY. 



Garrulus ultramarimis, Bonap. J. A. N. Sc. IV, 1825, 386 (not of Aitdijbon). — Temm. 

 PI. Col. II, 439. Cyanocitta ultramarina, Strickland, Ann. & Mag. XV, 1845, 260. 

 — Gambel, J. A. N. Sc. 2d Ser. I, 1847, 45. — Baird, Birds N. Am. 588, pi. 60, f. 

 2. — Ib. Mex. B. II, Birds 21, pi. xxii. Cyanogarrulus ultramarinus, Bon. Cousp. 

 1850, 378. Cyanocitta couchi, Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 588. 



Sp. Char. Tail rounded, but little graduated ; lateral feather about a quarter of an 

 inch shortest. Wings longer than the tail ; when closed, reaching 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, 6.00; tail, (dried,) 5.40; tarsus, 1.50. 



Hab. South side of valley of Rio Grrande, 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. There is also mucli more green in the blue of the head. 



As suggested in the P. E. E. Eeport, the birds collected by Lieutenant Couch 

 at Monterey, Mexico, although agreeing almost exactly with the original de- 

 scription of Bonaparte, are much smaller, and jierhaps entitled to recognition 

 as a separate form. The tail is nearly two inches less, 5.40 instead of 7.00, 

 or over. 



Habits. Tlie Ultramarine Jay is a well-marked species, and is specifically 

 quite distinct from the C. californica. It is found in the valley of the Eio 

 Grande, and thence southward and eastward in the northern provinces of 



