378 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



148. Aphelocoma californica hypoleuca Kidgway. 



XANTUS'S JAY. 



Aphelocoma californica hypoleuca Ridgway, Manual of North American Birds, 1887, 356. 

 (B 437, part; 236&, part; R 293, part; C 356, part; IT 481a.) 



Geographical range: Southern Lower California; north to about latitude 28°. 



Very little is yet known about the life history of Xantus's Jay (a some- 

 what smaller bird than the preceding - ), which inhabits the southern half of the 

 California Peninsula. Mr. Xantus, in whose honor this subspecies is named, 

 found it a common resident in the vicinity of Cape St. Lucas, and states that its 

 habits are much the same as those of the California Jay. They were also met 

 with by Mr. L. Belding in the same region. Mr. Walter E. Bryant states: "I 

 saw a few among the mangroves of Magdalena Island, and along the mangrove- 

 bordered estero to San Jorge, and northward as far as latitude 28°." Regarding 

 its nesting habits, he says: "A single nest of this new variety was found by 

 myself a few miles southward of San Ignacio, on April 12, 1889. The nest was 

 built about 3 metres high, in a green acacia, near the trail. The female was 

 sitting and did not'fly until preparations for climbing the tree had commenced. 

 The nest was in quite an exposed situation, among scant twigs on a horizontal 

 branch. It is composed of small, loosely laid dry twigs, and is a shallow recep- 

 tacle, lined with fiber and horsehair. The eggs, three in number (set No. 899, 

 collection of W. E. Bryant), contained small embryos. They are more finely 

 spotted than some similar Jays' eggs, with shell spots of pale lilac gray and 

 surface spots of pale olive green. The ground color is dull glaucous green. 

 They measure 27.5 by 20.5, 27.5 by 21, and 27 by 21 millimetres" 1 (or about 

 1.08 by 0.79, 1.08 by 0.83, and 1.06 by 0.83 inches). 



I have been unable to learn anything further about the general habits 

 of this subspecies; they are undoubtedly very similar to those of the Califor- 

 nia Jay. 



Two eggs in the United States National Museum collection, taken by Mr. 

 Xantus in the vicinity of Cape St. Lucas, in the spring of 1860, have a pale 

 bluish-green ground color and are spotted over the entire surface with small 

 markings of grayish brown, which are slightly heavier about the larger end of the 

 egg. The eggs are ovate in shape and slightly glossy, and are evidently out of 

 different nests. One measures 28.70 by 21.34 millimetres, or 1.13 by 0.84 inches; 

 the other, 24.13 by 17.78 millimetres, or 0.95 by 0.70 inch. 



The type specimen, No. 5174 (not figured), in the United States National 

 Museum collection, was taken as above stated, and closely resembles an average 

 egg of the California Jay. 



1 Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 2d series, Vol. II, 1889, pp. 24 and 293. 



