282 NORTH AMERICAN BIRRS. 



fir-troe on tl'.o e(lj,'(! of a wood. It was aaddlcd on a hori/ontal hranc.li 

 ttlioiit lillecn I'ect from tlio ground, and coiitiiiniid six eggs. 'J'hu l)ase of tliu 

 ne8fc was coni|tosed of coarso strong sticks, rudtily put togotlior. Ui)on this 

 Mas constructed a solid, firm plastering of mud of a nniibrm concave siiaj)e, 

 lined willi line wiry roots. Tlio external diameter is al)out nine iuciius, and 

 tlie lu'igiit of Uie nest four. Tiio interior is five inches in (hametor, and three 

 in depth. 



Tiie species was first described liy Professor Baird, from s]>ecimens 

 obtained by JJr. Ivennerly, who writ'ss tliat he first saw tins bird among 

 tlio lofty pines of tlie Sierra Madre in Novend)er, IS;")!}. Leaving that 

 range, he did not meet with it again until his i)arty crossed the Aztec 

 Mountains, in January, liSr)4, where it was less abundant than wlieii first 

 nu^t with. It was, for the most part, fVtund among the cedars on the high 

 gro\inds, though occasionally seen among the clunijw of large pines that 

 were scattered along the valley. The party did not meet with it again. 



Dr. Coucs found this species a common and a resident bird in Arizona. 

 It was observed to be almost exclusively an inhabitant of pine wood.s, and was 

 generally to be met with only in small companies, never congregating in the 

 manner of Woodhouse's Jay. He describes it as very sliy, vigilant, noisy, 

 and tyrannical. 



The eggs of C. mncroloplm measure 1.30 inches in length and .01 in breadth. 

 Their ground-color is a light sea-green. They are somewhat sparingly 

 spotted with fine markings of dark olive-brown, and lighter cloudings of a 

 purplish or violet brown Tltey are oblong oval in shape, obtuse at either 

 end, liut more tajJiM'ing at one end. They ap])ear to be a little larger than 

 tlie eggs of stellcri, and the ground-color is brighter, and the markings deeper 

 and more of an olive hue. 



Genus C7ANOCITTA, Stuickland. 



Cynnocitta, Stiiicki,.\np, Annals and Mag. N. 11. XV, 1845, 260. (Type, Gnrnihi-i call- 



fiirniciis, Vkjors.) 

 Jphchimma, C.ui.vxi.s, Mus. Hcin. 1851, 221. (Samo type.) 



Cii.vH. Head without crest, Wiiiijs an<l tail liliio, without any b.-inds. Back usually 

 witli a frray p.ilL'li, (liUbrcnt Irom tiiu head. Bill about a.s broad as hij.')! at tho base, and 

 tlic culiucii a liltlo .shorter than tho lieacl. Ncstrils larpc, nearly circular, and concealed. 

 Tail nearly eipial to tin; wings, lengtluMied, graduated, or else shorter and nearly even. 



This genus is readily distinguished from the preceding by the entire 

 alisence of crest and of black bars on the blue of wings and tail. The 

 species and races hitherto described will be found detailed in the accompa- 

 nying synopsis. The characters indicated above are of no very great generic 

 value, but as the group is a very natural one it will bo as well to retain it. 

 As in Oi/anura, the species are peculiar to the I'^nited States and Mexico, 

 one indeed being ajiparently confined to the Peninsula of Florida. 



