CORVID/K — THE CHOWS. 21)1 



Thoir ground-color i.s u lirii^lit, liiit not a dark, cniendd-ureon ■, and thuy aro 

 nuirked and blotclicd witli laiiil purj)lisli-l)n)\vn, and duL'i)ur sjjots of dark 

 nmber. Tln'se s]Mits aro sjiaringly distributed, and are chielly about the 

 larger end. In one tiiey are wholly of a liglij violet-biown. 'i'hese eggs arc 

 of a perfectly oval shape. 



Mr. Charles 1). Gibljcs, of Stockton, writes that he found iu a Harden in 

 that city a nest built by a pair of these birds that had become half domesti- 

 cated. It was [daced in a vt^ry tliick arlior of honeysuckle. The body of 

 the nest was composed of clipjiings from a hedge of o.sage orange, with tliorns 

 on them half an inch long. These twigs were tied and interlaced with twine 

 and bits of cotton stiings. Within this frame was a layer of tine weeds and 

 grasses nicely arranged, the whole lined with horse-hair. The nest was 

 found in ^lay, ami contained live eggs. Tlu^ parents kejit a good deal 

 about the kitchen door, and would steal anything they had an oi)portunity 

 to take. They made use of an old nest in the same giU'den as a recejitacle 

 for their stolen goods ; among other things was found a large slice of bread- 

 and-butter. 



Cyanocitta californica, var. woodhousei, r.Ainn. 



WOODHOUSE'S JAT. 



Oyanocitla voodliovsei, V>\uii>, lUnls N. Am. ISHS, IJU'i, \t\. lix. — In. .Mox. 15. II, liiids, 

 20, pi. xxi. — Cooi'Kii, Orii. Cal. I, 1870, 304. 



Bp. Char. Sizo iiiid gpnoial appoaranoo of f. ralifnnnca. W\\\ sicnilor. Orailuation 

 of tail one inch. IJliie, with a very olwciiro ashy patL-h on the back. Sides of thi' head 

 and neck and inconiplcto pt'ctoi-al collar, hluo; throat streaked with the same. IJreast 

 and lielly uniloini liiowni.sh-a.sh, ;_dossed with Idne ; under tail-eoverts liiiL;'ht blue. Sides 

 of head, ineludiiitr lores, black, glossed with blue lielow; a sli'i'aked white sujiereiliary 

 line. Length, l]..")t1; wing, o. 35; tail, O.ID; tarsus, l.OO. Wmnij. All the blue, except 

 that of the wings and tail, replaeed liy dull ash. 



Ham. rtoeky ifoiuitains and Midille Province of United Slates: north tf) Idaho and 

 Wyoming (HiudWAv) ; south to Xortheili Mexico ; east to Wyoming ami Colorado. 



The blui.sh wash on the back nearly obscuring the dorsal patch, the 

 general ashy tinge of the under parts, the decided blue under tail-coverts, 

 Jind the longer ami much slenderer bill, distinguish this form from ralifonika, 

 altliough ju'obably lajth are geograi)hical races of tlie same sjjocie.s. 



Hahits. This bird was first met with by Dr. AVoodhousc among the San 

 Francisco Mountains of New Are.xico, and was given by him, in his IJeport 

 of the Sitgreaves Kxpedition, as the Ciilifornia Jay. He states in regard to 

 it, that wherever he found the i)iiion, or nul-]pine (J'iiiioi a/ulis), growing 

 in New^ Mexico, this liird wtis sure to be there in great numbers, feeding 

 upon the fruit of those trees. Among the men it was known as the pifion 

 bii'd. Its notes are saitl to be harsh and disagreeal)le. It was e.vtremely 



