1913] Grinnell-Swarth: Birds and Mammals of San Jacinto 261 



Aphelocoma californica californica (Vigors) 

 California Jay 



A common species in Upper Sonoran chaparral. Observed 

 in numbers throughout Hemet Valley, at Hemet Lake, Ken- 

 worthy, and Vandeventer Flat, and ranging upwards commonly 

 to the altitude of Schain's Ranch (4900 feet), less numerously 

 to that of Garnet Queen Mine (6000 feet). On June 2 many 

 were seen on Pinon Flat. At Dos Palmos they were encoun- 

 tered in small numbers along the creek, at the end of May and 

 early in June, and again at the end of August. 



Along the San Gorgonio base of the mountains, at Cabezon, 

 Snow Creek, and Banning, California jays were seen in the 

 brush quite to the foot of the hills, but no farther, none being 

 observed in the brush on the desert floor. 



At Kenworthy, toward the end of May, families of small 

 young were frequently met with in the thickets of scrub oak in 

 the valley. At Hemet Lake, in August, specimens of juvenals 

 were taken molting into the first winter plumage ; a bird taken 

 at Vallevista September 2 has quite finished the molt. 



Eighteen specimens were preserved, as follows: Hurley Flat. 

 one (no. 1745), Schain's Ranch, four (nos. 1918-1921), Ken- 

 worthy, seven (nos. 2257-2263), Dos Palmos, one (no. 2494). 

 Eemel Lake, four (nos. 2952-2955), Vallevista, one (no. 3104). 



A form of this jay supposed to be distinct from californica 

 has of late years come to be recognized as occupying extreme 

 southern California, namely A. c. obscura (Anthony, 1889, p. 

 75). The characters for the distinguishment of this form, as 

 given by the latest critical student of the genus (Ridgway, 1904, 

 p. 330) are, as compared with A. c. calif arnica: smaller size 

 (except bill) and darker coloration. We have no material from 

 the San Pedro Martir region, but we do have large series of skins 

 from Monterey and other localities in the type region, together 

 with plentiful material from San Diego County and elsewhere 

 in southern California. 



We find that, as regards size, there is no perceptible difference 

 in either mass or proportions. In coloration we have tested for 

 shade of dorsum,. shade of blue on wings, head and tail, grayish 



