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TIIK CONDOR Vol.. X 



Grand Junction, but Mr. Sullivan writes that he has not seen it at the same point 

 during the summer. Prof. Cooke states that they are "not rare at Grand Junction 

 in summer." The writer has seen it only once during the summer and this was a 

 lone specimen observed July 8, 1899, at 6500 feet in Plateau Valley. 



Pica pica hudsonica. American Magpie. Resident, abundant. Probably the 

 most generally distributed bird occurring in the County. Is common everywhere 

 and at all altitudes. Nests in April and May according to altitude and l^reeds abun- 

 dantly from 4800 to 10000 feet. My earliest date for eggs is March 31 at 6500 feet. 

 It is a source of great annoyance to the farmers and cattle men attacking open sores 

 on the cattle, sometimes with serious results, and stealing large numbers of young 

 chickens and eggs. It nests in all sorts of locations including cottonwoods, cedars, 

 pinyons, willows, service-berry, box-elder and alder and at heights ranging from 6 

 to 60 feet, above ground. The birds are most common in the settled country dur- 

 ing the winter but I have found them as high as 8000 feet in January and miles 

 from a ranch, when the upper country was under three feet of snow. During the 

 winter they live largely on dead animals, but it is during the spring and summer 

 that their depredations are most conspicuous. 



Cyanocitta stelleri diademata. Long-crested Jay. Resident, common. Much 

 more in evidence during the winter than summer, but I am inclined to think this 

 is due to their seclusive habits during the breeding season rather than to a diminu- 

 tion of their numbers. Breeds during June in the spruce everywhere above 8500 

 feet and winters commonly up to at least 6500 feet. They do not leave their winter 

 quarters for the spruce until late in April returning to the valleys late in October. 



Aphelocoma woodhousei. Woodhouse Jay. Resident, common. A bird fre- 

 quenting lower altitudes than the preceding during the summer, but found every- 

 where in company with C. s. diademata during the winter. Frequents the open 

 scrub-oak hillsides from 5500 to 7500 feet during the breeding season w^here it nests 

 commonly during June, and evidently winters near the breeding grounds, altho it 

 may perform a slight vertical migration. It is the commonest of the larger birds 

 with the exception of the magpie around the ranches in wdnter feeding on grain in 

 the barnyards and stables and becomes very tame. 



Perisoreus canadensis capitalis. Rocky Mountain Jay. Resident, common in 

 suitable localities. Wherever an altitude of 10,000 feet or over is attained these 

 birds are common both during winter and summer, but they are seldom seen below 

 9500 feet even in winter and are consequently rather inconspicuous. No informa- 

 tion is at hand concerning their breeding habits in this County. 



Corvus corax sinuatus. American Raven. Resident, common. I am led to 

 believe that Ravens perform practically no migration. They are equally plentiful 

 in summer and winter and I have never noticed any migratory signs. They breed 

 commonly during April from 5000 to 7000 feet, frequenting rock}^ unsettled locali- 

 ties and nesting in high sandstone cliffs. They are particularly numerous in all 

 the box canyons emptying into the Grand Canyon. Mr. W. P. Ela states that 

 they formerly nested commonly on the Little Dolores River but he has not known 

 of their nesting there of late years. They are commonly found with the Turkey 

 Vulture around carcasses and the two are evidently on the best of terms. A bird 

 of solitary habits but occasionally seen in small flocks. 



Nucifraga columbiana. Clarke Nutcracker. My notes on this singular bird 

 are very incomplete. I have seen them in March at 5000 feet and in June at 7000 

 feet in small flocks. Judging from these dates it is not improbable that the}^ breed 

 in the County and records from surrounding localities seem to support the sup- 



