COUVID.E — THE CROWS. 



271 



pait-pait, with a varioty of cliatt*. rinf? notes, in tone resembling the hu::Mn 

 voice, which, indeed, they can l)e tau«;ht to imitate. 



An Q<i^^ of this species from ^loiiterey, California, is of a rounded oval 

 shape, a little less obtuse at one end than the other. The ground-colnr is a 

 li,L,dit drab, so rh».scly marked with fine cloudini^'s of an obscure lavendiT 

 color as ni^arly to conceal the <,Tound, and to <,dve the efj«j the ajjpearance of 

 an almost uniform violet-brown. It measures 1.1^0 inches in length by .!M) 

 in breadth. 



Gexus CYANXTRA, Swainson. 



Cyanunm, Swainsov, F. r.or.-Ani. II, 1S31, 495, Appendix. (Type, Cori'its crisfntus, 



LiXN.) 



Cijanocitta, Cabanis, Mus. Hoin. 1851 (not of Strickland, 1845). 



Gex. Char. Tload crostod. Winjrs and tail !)lno, with transvorso Mark bars ; head and 

 back of thi; same color. Bill rather slcndei-, somewhat broader than liigh at the base ; 



Cyanwra eristata. 



cnlmon ahont oqnal to the head. Nostrils largo, nearly cirrnlar, roncealed by bristles. 

 Tail about as long avS the wings, lengthened, graduated. Hind claw large, longer than 

 its digit. 



Species and Varieties. 



Common CnARACTERS. Wings and tail deep blue, the latter, with the second- 

 aries and tertials, sometimes also the greater coverts, barred with black. 



A. Greater coverts, tertials, secondaries, and tail-feathers tipped broadly 

 with white ; lower parts generally, including lateral and under parts of 

 head, whitish. 



C. eristata. Head above, back, scapulars, lesser wing-coverts, rump 

 and upper tail-coverts, light ashy purplish-blue; a narrow frontal band, 

 a loral spot, streak behind the eye, and collar round the neek, com- 

 mencing under the crest, passing down across the end of the auriculars 

 and expan<ling into a crescent across the jugulum, black; throat tinged 

 with purplish -gray, the breast and sides with smoky -gray ; abdomen, 

 anal region, and erissum pure white. Wing, o.TO ; tail, 0.00; bill, 1.25; 

 tarsus, 1.0.5 ; middle toe, .85 ; crest, 2.20. Hah. Eastern Province of 

 North America. 



