A New Species of Jay, etc. 165 



From C. mystacalis the bird under examination appears 

 to differ, as follows : in having no tendency to bluish reflec- 

 tions on the top of the head, and the feathers of the back, 

 rump, smaller wing coverts and scapularies, being uniform 

 in color, and without grayish margins, as is stated to be the 

 case in C mystacalis. The upper plumage of O. mystacalis 

 is given as " bleu clair." The shades of blue being so va- 

 rious it is sometimes difficult to understand satisfactorily the 

 color intended by the description, and among the Jays one of 

 the most distinguishing characters, is that of the different 

 shades of this color, especially in the group now under dis- 

 cussion, in which the pattern of coloration is much the same. 

 In my bird the back, wings and middle tail feathers are of a 

 uniform dark cobalt blue. The tail of C. mystacalis is stated 

 to be 4£ inches long, and the two middle feathers to have 

 one-quarter their length at the end white, and at the extreme 

 end a small spot of bluish-black ; in the present bird the 

 tail is 6 inches long, with the white ends of the central 

 feathers rather less than one-sixth their length in extent, and 

 immaculate. The inner webs of the quills are given as 

 brown in C. mystacalis, in the bird before me they are black. 

 These differences seem sufficient, I think, to show the two to 

 be possibly distinct species. 



C. uroleucus Heine, I have not seen recognized by any 

 writer as a good species, it is noticed by Gray (Hand List, 

 11, p. 5) and referred to C. mystacalis, Geoff. ; to which 

 species he also refers G. bellus Schlegel, Mus. des Pays Bas 

 Liv. 9, p. 50. This last Schlegel describes as having the 

 basal portions of all the tail feathers more or less blue, and 

 therefore it is unlike C mystacalis. 



Judging from the description of C. bellus, it seems to me 

 to be entitled to a distinct position, for with the cobalt blue 

 back in connection with the markings of the tail, it appears 

 to differ from all other species. 



C. uroleucus is described as having the quills and wing 

 coverts "fuscis" broadly margined with blue — this does not 



