FLORIDA JAY. .463 



Color. Ai/u/l. Aliove, imkuling winss and tail, dark-blue, witli the top of the iinterioi- part of tlie head, lighter. 

 Inner weljs cf wing feathers, dark-brown. Lories, space around eye, ear coverts, and under wing' coverts, dusky. Beneath, 

 yellowi-<l:-.ish, witli a sliglit collar crossing the la'east, and under tail covert-^, bluisii. Tlie tliroat and under portioas of 

 neck arc streaked witli dusky. Bill and faet, black. 



Yiiuny. CJuito similar to the adult, but duller, with h;ss blue nn the b.-east, aud the (op of the licad i< lijjhter. Sex- 

 es, siinil;'.r in all stages. 



OBSEKVxVTlOXb- 



Thcrc is oceasionally a superciliary line of whitish, while the throat is tinged with bluish, and ti.e coluis above are 

 iUi!!,;r. Tlis is es-pecial!y noticeable in skins which I obtained at Cedar Keys and on the west coast of Floiida. Thus it 

 will bo ssen t!iat Floridana approaches the western forms, for I am inclined to regard the so-called Woodhouseii and Calijor- 

 ■nica as only local races of this species. Distributed throughout Middle aud Northern Florida, also quite likely along the 

 tiulf of Jloxico in suitable localities. 



DIMENSIONS. 



;\vcrage measurements often specimens from Florida. Length, IC'OO: stretch, 14'55; wing, \:t'2\ tail, SO'T; liill, 1-05: 

 tai-sus, L30. Longest specimen, 12-50; greatest extent of wing, 15-00; longest wing, 4-75; tail, 5-90; bill, 1-10; tarsus, 1-40. 

 Shortest specimen, U-50; smallest extent of wing, 14-10; shortest wing, 4-:i0; tail, 4-25; bill, TOO; tarsus, 1-20. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EdCiS. 



Ncsis, jilaced in Inishes, composed of sticks and roots, lined with weeds and rootlets. Dimensions, external diameter, 

 6-00, internal, 450. External depth, .S-SO, internal, 2-00. 



Eg!js, four in number, oval in form, olive-green in color, spotted and blotched with black. Dimensions from llOx -iiS 

 to 1-25 x -90. 



HABITS. 



Tlio soil of Florida is mainly sandy and, although capable of producing much more 

 vegetation than one would suppose when cultivated, is in many sections covered with noth- 

 ing larger than shrubbery which is mostly composed of dwarf and willow otiks. The usnttl 

 hciglit of these trees is about five feet, but in some localities they attain to nearly double 

 this .-'.Ititude and then the plains which they cover are called high scrub land to distinguish 

 them from the low scrub. As related, the latter is inhabited by the Whitts-eyed Towhee, 

 while in the former the Florida Jays find a home, and as tliis peculiar growth is confined to 

 certain sections, these birds are (piite local in distribution. Thus the first place in which I 

 found them, in going up the St. John's River, was at Blue Springs. Here they were abun- 

 d;i!it, and they occupied a ludt of country some forty-five miles wide, extending from the 

 jibove named part to the cotist. They were also luunerous on the East side of Indian River 

 as far south, at Uiast, as Merritt's Island, but the; strong ludd of these birds is in the high 

 sjnib lands of the Western Coast, where they fairly sw;irni. They occur as far south as 

 Tampa Bay, ami 1 found them in quite large flocks on the main-land opposite Cedar Keys. 

 IL)w much further west they extend I am unable to say, but .should not be surprised to 

 find them in suitable localities along the entire northern siiorc of the Gulf of Mexico. 



The Florid:!, Jays are noisy birds at times, and the first intimation whicli one receives 

 of their presence is a harsh scream which is given as a note of ahirm. As they usually 

 move in flocks, this cry is taken up I»y others, and .soon the scrub for many rods around 

 will be resounding with these peculiar sounds. When undisturbed they feed on the ground 

 or i I bavios but, upon the approach of an intra ler, will mount the highest point available, 

 where they remain until driven away. They are not usually .shy and will allow one to 



