290 NOIITII AMEUICAX JJIUDS. 



CDiTectiic'SS of this statement, it is ■worthy of iiujiiiioii that tliese binls have 

 not been met there by more recent coilecUjrs, and that Dr. Newberry no- 

 wlierc met witli them in Oregon. Dr. Cooper sug<,'est.s that, since then, the 

 increased severity of the winters may have th'iven them permanently farther 

 soutii. 



Mr. Xuttall describes its habits as very nnich like tliose of the Bine Jay. 

 It usually thes out to the toj)s of tiie tallest i)iues, jerks its tail, and perches 

 playtully on .some extreme branch, wiiere, as if in anj^er, it calls woit, woit- 

 iroit, with an occasional recoj,'nition note of tvxc-tuxc. Wiien pursued, it 

 retreats to the shade of the loftiest brauciies. It feeds on insects, acorns, 

 which it breaks up, and pine seeds. He describes it as a gracef(d, active, 

 and shy bird, with a note much less harsh and loud than that of Steller's 



.i-y. 



Dr. Cooper remarks tiiat this species is one of the most common and 

 conspicuous oi tiie birds of the State of California. They frecjuent every 

 locality in which oak-trees are found, even within the limits of large town.s, 

 where they enter gardi'us antl audaciously plunder the fruit. They have all 

 tlie usual cunning of tlieir tribe, and when alarmed become very (piiet, and 

 conceal themselves in the thick foliage. They are usually noisy and i'ear- 

 less, and tiieir odd cries, grotescpu", actions, and In-iglit plumage make them 

 general favoi'ites in s|)ite of their depredations. They are also said to have 

 a talent for mimicry, besides notes to express tlieir various wants and ideas. 



They breed abundantly througliout the western parts of California, and 

 construct a large and strong nest of twigs, roots, and grass. These are 

 placed in a low tree or busli. They lay about live eggs, wliich Dr. Cooper 

 descriljcs as dark green marked witli numerous jwde brown blotches and 

 si)()ts, and measure 1.80 by 1.04 inches. At San Diego he found these eggs 

 laid as early as Ajn-il o. 



This .Fay inhabits the Coast IJange of mountains to their sunnnit, south 

 of San Francisco, and the Sierra Nevada as far as tlie oaks exteuil, fir to an 

 elevation of from 1,000 to o.OOO feet. Dr. Cooper saw none on the east side 

 of the Sierra Nevada in hititude oT. 



He descrilies tlieir llight as slow and laborious, on account of their short 

 wings, and states tliat they never liy far at a time. He also acciLses them 

 of being very destructive to the eggs of smaller liirds, hunting for tliem in 

 the spring, and watcliing the movements of other birds with great attention. 



]\Ir. Xantus found tiiese birds very alniudant at Cajie St. laicas, being, 

 like all the other resident species there, much smaller than those occurring 

 in more northern localities. Their habits are said to be very much the 

 same. 



This species was taken in winter near ();ixaca, Mexico, by Mr. Boucard. 



Four eggs of this s]iecies from diJl'ei'ent jiarts of California present the 

 following measurements: 1.20 X <Xf^o; MO X O.SO ; l.l:! X 0..S0 ; l.OoXO.80. 

 The measuriMnents given l)y Dr. Cooper we are conlident must be a mistake. 



