104 THE OSPREY. 



Peeisoeeus canadensis canadensis (Linn.). 

 Canada Jay. 



Synonymy: P. c. griseus Ridgw. Auk, Vol. XVI, No. 3. July, 1899 

 p. 255. 



Habitat: Approximately northern North America between parallels 

 43° and 50° east of the 105° meridian, and 50° and 62° west of the same 

 meridian. 



Memarhs: A series of specimens taken throughout the above range show 

 no distinctive differences in either size or color. Examples from along the 

 northern border of the range tend to intergrade with the northern race, and 

 on the southwestern border intergradatioii with both P. c. obscu7'us and P. c. 

 capitalis is apparent as would be expected. Birds from northwest Minnesota 

 suggest the northern race as shown by two females from Swan River, in Mr. 

 Brewster's collection. I also have a female before me taken at Fort Yukon, 

 on April 27, 1877 (73,371 U. S. Nat. Mus.), typical of this species, which 

 shows how far to the northward along the 140° meridian this species range ex- 

 tends, and in which region the species seems to intergrade and show such 

 peculiarity of plumage that Dr. Bishop (N. Am. Fauna, No. 19, p. 81) 

 called a series taken in the Yukon River region intermediate hetviGQU fumifrons 

 and capitalist while the specimens I have examined show intergradation be- 

 tween the former race and canadensis. Specimens from the Black Hills, 

 South Dakota, have generally been referred to cwpitalis (Grinnell, Ludlow's 

 Report, 1875, p. 93, and Gary, Auk, 1901, p. 237), but three specimens I have 

 examined in measurements and general color agree with canadensis. 



Mr. Ridgway's lately described race P. c. ^wews from the British Colum- 

 bia region does not in my opinion deserve recognition. Unlabelled specimens 

 from near the type locality are impossible as a rule to separate from eastern 

 examples (Nova Scotia). If P. c. griseus is to be recognized, the bird inhabit- 

 ing Nova Scotia and New Brunswick must be either known as P. c. griseus or 

 else given a name based on practically geographical separation of distribution, 

 because I find that the only criterion which can separate griseus from true 

 canadensis is a shorter length of tarsus (2 mm.), which is also true of Nova 

 Scotia and New Brunswick specimens. It is true that specimens from the 

 latter localities have bills and tails averaging longer than British Columbia 

 specimens, but to separate a Nova Scotia-New Brunswick race on such slight 

 and inco7istant differences seems to me unadvisable. 



Peeisoeeus canadensis capitalis Ridgw. 

 Rocky Mountain Canada Jay. 

 Habitat: Rocky Mountains from approximately parallels 35° to 50° 

 above 9,000 feet. 



