280 iS'UUTll AMKIUCAN UHiDS. 



tlie body tiiul head entirely replaced by a sooty grayish; and that of the wings and tail 

 duller, and less distinctly barred. 



ITai!. Whole lenglii ol' the Sierra Nevada, from Fort Crook (where it ajiproaches 

 var. xtcllcri) to Fort Tejon. 



Til the colors of the body, \vino;s, and tail, this woll-niaiked race resembles 

 0. iiiarfu/ojiJia ill every respeet, cixeept tliat tiie greater coverts are not barred 

 with black ; there beiu" the same ai)rupt contrast between tiie deep l)liie of 

 the wings and tail, and the light greenish-l)lue of tlu; body, tail-coverts, and 

 pi'iniari(!S, — seen only in these two forms. The variety is contined to the 

 monntains of California and Western Nevada, extending along the Sierra 

 Nevada abont tiie entire length of the State, there being specimens in the 

 collection from Kort Crook and Fort Tejon, and intermediate localities. 



Hauits. The BItie-fronted Jay, so far as it was observed by Mr. Uiilgway, 

 was I'uniul to be exclnsively an inhabitant of the pine woods of the Sierra 

 Nevada, and is, with Clarke's Nntcraeker, one of the most characteristic 

 birds of that region. In its general haitits and manners, it greatly resembles 

 the eastern iilne Jay, but is rather more shy, while its notes are very 

 dill'erent, and do not possess the variety and Hexiliility of the crislata, but 

 are in comparison harsh and discordant. . The nsnal note is a hoarse, deejj- 

 toned monosyllabic sipiawk. Sometimes it utters a hollow sonorous chatter. 



Near ('arson (.'ity one of these birds had been winged by a shot, and, in 

 falling, alighted on the lower iranches of a pine-tree. Upon an attempt to 

 capture it, tiic bird began to ascend the tree; limb by limb, at the same 

 time uttering a perftict imitation of the cry of the IJed-tailed Hawk, evidently 

 in tlie hope of frightening away his tormentors. Dr. Newberry regards this 

 Jay as the western counterpart of the V. cristata. Uy its more conspicuous 

 crest, its bold, detiant air, and its excessively harsh and disagreeable cry, it 

 challeng(;s and secures attention. He found it almost exclusively conlined 

 to the hilly and mountainous districts, choosing in preference those covered 

 with pines. 



Dr. Heermann found these Jays al)undant and resident as far south as 

 Warner's lianch, wiiere, tiiough cmnmon, they were for some reason so 

 unusually wild and vigilant as not to be easily procurable. In feeding, he 

 observed that tliey seemed always to begin in the lower branches and 

 ascend, hopping from twig to twig, to the tojimost point, and, wiiile thus 

 employed, utter a harsh screaming note that can be heard to a considerable 

 distance. 



Tiiis species, Dr. Coojier states, is numerous in the mountains of Cali- 

 fornia, inhaliiting the whole lengtii of the Sierra Nevada, and the Coast 

 llange as far south, at least, as Santa Ciuz. Thfmgli showing a decided pref- 

 erence for the pine forests, they sometimes in winter freipient tho.se of 

 oaks. They are omnivorous, eating seeds, acorns, nuts, insects, and in winter 

 even jjotatoes and dead fish. They are at times bold and prying, and at 

 others very cautious and suspicious. They soon learn to appreciate a gun, 



