114 Henshaw 071 the Nest and Eggs of the Blue Croiv. 



facts ; but his experience was limited to the discovery of the nests 

 and young, which he found fully fledged as early as April 21. This 

 was in 1868, and the eggs remained undescribed till 1875, when 

 Mr. Aiken secured a nest with its complement in Colorado. 



For additional information concerning the nests and eggs of this 

 curious bird we are indebted to the zeal of Mr. H. G. Parker of Car- 

 son City, Nev., who during the past spring has visited a breeding 

 colony on the same range of low pinon-covered hills where nine 

 years ago Mr. Ridgway obtained his facts respecting their nests. 

 This is a locality perfectly typical of the tastes of the bird, and here 

 they have maintained their hold for an indefinite term of years, and 

 reared many successive generations of young. Mr. Parker visited 

 the locality during the latter part of March, and foimd the pairs 

 then leisurely at work making their nests. On the 5th of April he 

 found the females sitting, and took two nests, one with three, the 

 other with four eggs. One of the nests with its coibplement, pre- 

 sented by Mr. Parker to the Smithsonian Institution, is now before 

 me, and offers the following description : To begin with, it is a 

 really handsome structure, and indicates a higher order of construc- 

 tive ability than is usual in the Jay family. It is strongly made, 

 and though somewhat bulky and Jay-like externally, is more com- 

 pact and deeper, with higher sides than is ordinarily seen. As a 

 matter of course, the piiion-tree being almost the only living thing 

 found on these dry and desolate hills, the nest is made up largely 

 of twigs from this tree, which were evidently, as shown by the fresh 

 ends, broken off by the birds, not gathered from the ground. These 

 are interlocked firmly, so as to afford an admirable supporting base 

 for the nest proper. Here again the birds have had recourse to the 

 pifion, and have utilized long sti'ips of the tough, fibrous, but soft 

 bark which make up the bulk of the lining. Fine shreddings of 

 the same and a few straws nicely arranged complete the interior. 

 The external diameter of the nest is nine and one half inches ; in- 

 ternal, four ; depth, three. The eggs are of a greenish-white color, 

 profusely spotted everywhere with small blotches of light brown 

 and purple. In one specimen the brown shows a faint reddish 

 tinge. Towards the larger ends the markings become more numer- 

 ous, and near the apex show a decided tendency, so usual in spotted 

 eggs, to form a confluent ring. They measure 1.27X.87, 1.27X.88, 

 1.27X.87, 1.23X.87. They thus appear to Correspond very closely 

 with Mr. Aiken's set, and show only slight variations in size. They 



