270 NUUTII AMERICAN UIllDS. 



Pica caudata, var. nuttalli, Am>. 



TELLOW- BILLED HAOFIE. 



Pica nutttilli, Arn. Oni. Ilio^'. IV, 18.58, 4r)0, pi. m'lxii. — In. Syn. 1830, l.'i2. — In. Birils 

 Am. IV, 18J'J, lltJ, \>\. LC.x.xviii. — Hon-. List, 1838. — In. Coiispcifiis, 18,"i0, ;!83. — 

 Ninr.M.r., Man. 1, (2il cd.,) 184U, MU. — NKwni;i:i!V, Urj). P. \i. It. VI, iv, 1857, 84. 

 — ll.viiiK, liirds N. Am. 18.'j8, ,')78, ])1. x.wi. — IIkkii.m. X, .S', n-l. — ('(hu'KI!, On\. 

 C'al. I, 1870, 21)5. CUitlcs nuUa/li, G.v.Mnr.i., J. A. N. Sc. I'll. '2il Series, I, 1847, 4ti. 



Sp. Cii.vk. Bill, and naked skin behind the eye, bright yellow ; otherwise .siinil.'ir to /'. 

 Iiiiihohlca. I,en,!,'lh, 17.00; wiiifr, S.OO ; tail, 10.00. 



ll.vn. Califoiuiiv (Sacramento \'a!i('y, and southern coast region). 



Wg cannot look npon tho Yollow-biUe<l Maj^pie otliorwi.se than as a local 

 race of the connnon kind, .sinco it is well known that aniony tho Jays many 

 species have the bill either black or yellow according to sex, age, or locality ; 

 and as the Yellow-billed Magpie occupies a more S(juthern locality than 

 usual, nnd one very dillereut from tliat of the black-billed species, it well 

 may exhibit a special geographical variation. The great restriction in range 

 is anotlier argument iu favor of its being a simple variety. 



IlAHrrs. Tiie Yellow-billed Magpie seems to be e.Kclusively a bird of 

 California, where it is very abundant, and where it replaces almost entirely 

 the more eastern form. JMr. IJidgway, who met witli this variety only in 

 the viilley of the Sacramento, states that he there found it very abundant 

 among the oaks of that region. It differed from i\w common Magpie in 

 being exceedingly gregarious, moving about among the oak groves in small 

 companies, iucessiintly chattering as it Hew, or as it sat among the brandies 

 of the trees. He saw many of their nests in the tops of the oaks, — indeed, 

 all were so situated, — yet he never met with the nests of the other species 

 in a higli tree, not even in the river valleys. The young of this Magpie 

 have the white of the scapulars marked with rusty triangular spots. 



Hr. Cooper found this Magpie altundant in the valleys of California, espe- 

 cially near the middle of tlit State, except during the spring months, when 

 none were seen in the Santa Clara Yalley, the supposition being that they 

 had retired eastward to the mountains to build their nests. At Santa Bar- 

 bara he found them numerou.s in April and May, and saw their nests in oak- 

 trees. The young were alrea ly Hedged liy the 2r)th of April. The nest, I'C 

 states, is comi)osed of a large mass of coarse twigs twisted together in a 

 spherical form, with a hole in the side. The eggs he saw resembled those 

 of the other species, and are described as being whitish-green, spotted with 

 cinereous-gray and olive-brown. They also breed abundantly about Mon- 

 terey. They have not l)een traced to the northern border of the State. 



Tiieir food, Dr. Cooper adds, consists of almost everything animal and 

 vegetable that they can find, and they come al)out farms and gardens to ])ick 

 up whatever they can meet with. They have a loud call that sounds like 



