BELDING'S JAY. 379 



149. Aphelocoma californica obscura Anthony. 



BELDING'S JAY. 



Aphelocoma californica obscura Anthony, Proceedings California Academy of Sciences, 2d 

 series, II, October 11, 1S89, 75. 



(B — , C — , B — , C — , IT 481&.) 



Geographical range : San Pedro Martir Mountains, Lower California. 



Belding's Jay, another subspecies of the California Jay, was recently 

 described by Mr. A. W. Anthony, in the " Proceedings of the California Acad- 

 emy of Sciences" (2d series, Vol. II, October 11, 1889, pp. 73, 75). The type, 

 which differs from Aphelocoma californica in its much darker colors and weaker 

 feet, was obtained by him at Valladores, Lower California. September 8, 1888. 

 In describing the region where his specimens were collected, he says: 'About 

 150 miles south of the United States boundary, and midway between the Pacific 

 Ocean and the Gulf of California, lies a high range of mountains which is 

 marked upon the later maps of the peninsula as ' San Pedro Martir.' The region 

 embraces a series of small ranges which rise from an elevated mesa having a 

 mean elevation of about 8,000 feet and an extent of 60 by 20 miles. In these 

 mountains are born the only streams that this part of the peninsula affords, 

 and an abundance of pine timber is found throughout the region. Many of the 

 ranges on the eastern side of the San Pedro Martir rise to an elevation of 11,000 

 feet, or even in one or two places to 12,500 (?) feet. 



"Rising as the region does from the dry, barren hills of the lower country 

 to an elevation higher than any other on the peninsula or in southern California, 

 and presenting in its alpine vegetation and clear mountain streams features so 

 different from the dry manzanita and sage-covered hills of the surrounding 

 country, it is not unnatural to suppose that its animal life would be found to 

 differ in some respects from that of the surrounding hills, etc." 



In these regions Belding's Jay is found, and it is to be hoped that Mr. 

 Anthony will be able to pay another visit to these mountains and explore them 

 more thoroughly. Nothing is yet known regarding the nesting habits and eggs 

 of this well-marked subspecies. 



150. Aphelocoma insularis Henshaw. 



SANTA CRUZ JAY. 



Aphelocoma insularis HENSHAW, Auk, III, October, 1886, 452. 

 (B — , C — , B — , C — , U 481.1.) 



Geographical range : Santa Cruz Island, southern California. 



The Santa Cruz Jay, which seems to be confined to the similarly named 

 island, one of the innermost of the Santa Barbara group, about 23 miles distant 

 from the California coast, was first discovered by Mr. H. W. Henshaw, in June, 



