/LC2 Henshaw on a New Jay from California. [October 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW JAY FROM CALIFORNIA. 



BY H. W. IIENSIIAW. 



Aphelocoma insularis, sp. nov. 



General color above, including surface of wings and tail, dark azure 

 blue, deepest on head. 



Back deep sepia brown. Feathers from just anterior to eye to tlie occiput 

 tipped with wiiite, torining a streaked line. Sides of liead, extending 

 well down on neck and breast, dark azure blue. A spot anterior and 

 posterior to eve, including lores and ear-coverts, black. 



Feathers of throat and breast ashy white edged with lilue. Posteriorly 

 the underparts dull white. Crissum and under tail-coverts blue. 



Hab. Santa Cruz Island, California. 



MEASUREMENTS. 



Wing. Tail. Bill. Tarsus. 



^ ad 5.30 6— 1.30 1. 85 



$ ad 5.40 6. 28 I.JO 1.79 



— ad 5.40 6.10 1. 17 1.65 



The island to which the above species is confined, so far as 

 known at present, is the innermost of the Santa Barbara Group, 

 and is cHstantfrom the California coast about twenty miles. While 

 on a short visit to the island in June, 1875, I collected three 

 specimens of the bird in question which, after considerable 

 hesitation, I decided to call califoruica^ though they diflered 

 considerably from the few specimens of that bird then at hand. 

 Since then the number of specimens of calif or?iica in the 

 National Museum has so materially increased that nearly every 

 portion of its range on the west coast, from Cape St. Lucas to 

 Oregon, is represented in the series. Having recently had oc- 

 casion to examine the entire collection of Jays, Air. Ridgway 

 has kindly called my attention to the fact that notwithstanding 

 the accession of so much new material the island specimens still 

 remain unique. I therefore hesitate no longer to describe them 

 as representing a new species. 



The insular habitat of tiie bird would seem to preclude the 

 possibility of intergradation with the mainland form, if, indeed, 

 the ample material at hand for comparison did not negative such 

 an assumption. 



The origin of the bird can hardly be doubtful. Individuals 



