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1917 BIRDS OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ISLANDS 69 
p. 91. (26) Grinnell, Pac. Coast Avif., 11, 1915, p. 98. (27) Dawson, Condor, xvi, 
1915, p. 203. 
A[phelocoma]. insularis (28) Ridgway, Man. N. Am. Birds, 1887, p. 355. (29) Coues, 
Key N. Am. Birds, 5th ed., 1903, p. 498. 
Santa Cruz Jay (30) Beck, Bull. Cooper Orn. Club, 1, 1899, p. 6. 
Peculiar to Santa Cruz Island, where it is an abundant resident. This spe- 
cies was first described by H. W. Henshaw (2) from three birds collected by him 
in June, 1875. In coloration it most nearly approaches A. c. obscwra, but is very 
much darker and much larger. It differs from californica in greater size, deeper 
colors, especially the brown of the back, and in having blue instead of white un- 
der tail eoverts. As with the mainland birds, the males are larger than the fe- 
males, but not to a degree that can be noticed without comparison of specimens. 
During July and August E. W. Blake (4) found the Santa Cruz Jay to be 
impudently familiar, but when A. van Rossem and I (22) were on the island 
during the breeding season, we found the opposite to be the case. Although the 
birds were very common, we might easily have overlooked them entirely. Never 
a sound did one make unless its mate was shot, and it was useless to try for them 
by walking through their haunts. However, if we would select a likely spot and 
sit quiet for a few moments, one would usually approach from the rear and silent- 
ly examine the intruders from a distance of several yards 
It is truly surprising to note the number of old jays’ nests upon the island. 
These must either last for a greater number of years than is the case elsewhere, or 
else the birds are in the habit of building extra or dummy nests. The favorite 
sites seem to be in the tops of the local ‘‘palo fierro’’ (ironwood) trees, though 
many were noted in low oaks or large bushes, mostly on the sides of the canyons. 
Construction is the same as that employed by the mainland form. The latter 
part of April, 1911, all the females shot had already laid, and I believe that a 
large majority then had small young. Two nests that I examined on the 28th 
(22) were some twenty feet up in ironwoods, and held, respectively, two small 
young and an addled egg, and three young, half grown. R. H. Beek (30) found 
four nests with eggs May 8, 1898, and I believe that the time for fresh eggs va- 
ries considerably in different seasons. Eight of the above eggs average 1.16x.88 
inches. Extremes are 1.10 to 1.21, in length, and .84 to .92 in diameter. 
In the late fall C. B. Linton (20) found that the birds near the shore were 
nearly all females, while in the high pines males predominated. They are not 
equally common over the entire island, but seem to prefer the neighborhood of 
the pines and heavy brush. Smugglers Cove is a good place to look for them. 
120. Corvus corax sinuatus Wagler 
RAVEN 
Corvus carnivorus (1) Cooper, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., tv, 1870, p. 78. (2) Cooper, Land 
Birds Calif., 1, 1870, p. 283. 
Corvus corax var. carnivorus (3) Henshaw, Rep. Wheeler Surv., 1876, p. 251. 
Corvus corax sinuatus (4) Blake, Auk, tv, 1887, p. 329. (5) Streator, Orn. & Ool., x11, 
1888, p. 54. (6) Keeler, Zoe, 1, 1891, p. 339. (7) Zahn, Avifauna, 1, 1895, p. 24. (8) 
Grinnell, Pasadena Acad. Sci., 1, 1897, pp. 6, 10, 16. (9) Grinnell, Auk, xv, 1898, p. 
234. (10) Mailliard, Bull. Cooper Orn. Club, 1, 1899, p. 45. (71) Oberholser, Proc. 
