GARRULUS CERVICALIS 9 



GARRULUS CERYICALIS, Bonaparte. 

 ALGERIAN BLACK-HEADED JAY. 



Garrulus cervicalis, Bonap. Comp. Rend, sxxvii, p. 828 (1853) ; Sharpe, 

 Cat. Birds Brit. Mas. iii, p. 93 ; Lochc, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. i, p. 120 

 (1867) ; Whitaker, Ibis, 1896, p. 96 ; Erlanger, J.f. 0. 1899, p. 489. 



Garrulus melanocephalus, Malhcrbe, Cat. Rais. d Ois. Alg., p. 9 (1846). 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Ghardimaou, North Tunisia. 



Forehead white, spotted with black, crown covered with a thick black 

 crest ; nape and sides of the neck rufous, becoming paler lower down ; back 

 vinous-grey, scapulars rather paler ; rump pale rufous ; upper tail-coverts 

 white; tail with the three outer pairs of rectrices blackish-brown, the 

 remaining rectrices being grey on basal half and black on terminal half, with 

 bluish-black bars on the outer webs, more distinct on the lighter portion of 

 the feathers ; primaries blackish, with dull white outer webs ; secondaries 

 velvet-black, with the basal half of the outer webs pure white, the innermost 

 secondaries with a chestnut patch ; greater wing-coverts conspicuously 

 barred with black, blue and white alternately, the lesser coverts grey, 

 washed with rufous ; lores, entire space round the eyes, ear-coverts and 

 throat pure white ; a conspicuous black moustachial stripe ; chest and 

 abdomen pale vinous-grey, washed on the sides and flanks with rufous ; 

 crissum and under tail-coverts white. 



Iris bluish-white ; bill dark brown ; feet pale brown. 



Total length 14 inches, wing 7'50, culmen 1-20, tarsus 1-70. 



Adult female similar to the male, but rather smaller. 



Observations. — Although resembling G.glandarius to a considerable extent 

 in its general coloration, this Jay appears to differ from that species suffi- 

 ciently to be entitled to full specific rank. Its white ear-coverts and cheeks 

 alone form a very distinctive specific character. 



The range of this Jay appears to be somewhat limited, being, so 

 far as we are aware, restricted to the more northern districts of North- 

 west Africa, where it is resident and found throughout the year. 



Two, if not three, other forms of Jay, however, occur in North- 

 west Africa, but owing to a lack of specimens it is not at present 

 possible to arrive at an entirely satisfactory conclusion regarding 

 their identity and relative claims to separation. 



The forms referred to are the following : — 



G. minor, Verreaux (Eev. Zool. 1857, p. 439, pi. xiv.), from South 

 Algeria. 



