164 



iJ^ATaEAL HISTOEY COLLECTIONS IN ALASKA. 



wooded mouutaias to the south of that river, which has a large crest on its head ; but the 

 rest of the descriptiou was so vague that it was hard to determiue to just what bird it referred. 

 The heavy snowfall aud severe winters, in the region named, would seem to negative the possi- 

 bility of the bird's occurrence, though it may be a migrant there. Specimens are in the National 

 Museum collection from Sitka taken in October and January, thus proving it to be a winter resi- 

 dent north at least to this point. Sitkan examples of this jay are typical of the variety. Dr. Bean 

 found this jay at George's Island in June. 



Peeisoreus canadensis (Linn.). Canada Jay. 



From the headwaters of the Yukon to the mouth of the Tauana Eiver occur birds which are 

 almost typical representatives of the jay found in British America, and thence down to Canada. 

 A large majority of them approximate, or are typical, of, Mr. Eidgway's v ariet j fumifrons. 



Pebisoreus canadensis fxtmifrons Eidgw. 



Alaskan Jay (Esk. Kupa-nu- 



As noted under the preceding species, many specimens from the Upper Yukon are nearly typ- 

 ical canadensis, but the present form gradually replaces it lower down this stream until, near Nulato 

 to the coast, birds ai)proaching the canadensis style are almost unknown. The present form is the 

 only Perisoreus found throughout the Sitkan and Kadiak region, and thence north along the region 

 bordering the Bering Sea coast and up the wooded interior. 



On Juue 9, 1880, 1 saw a single specimen at Cape Eomanzoff, just north of the Yukon mouth, 

 on the coast of Bering Sea, and in the winter of 1878 I saw this jay on the Lower Kuskoquim, and 

 specimens were brought me which were taken at the head of Norton Bay, so that it appears to 

 range to the coast of Bering Sea wherever alder-bushes occur to afford it shelter. It has been 

 taken also at Kenai by Bischoff. Dall took a nest with four half-grown young on April 20, at 

 Nulato ; it is evident, therefore, that the bird must nest during the latter part of March, and fre- 

 quently while the temperature ranges well down toward the freezing point of mercury. 



Ball's statement that this bird is not found south of the Yukon is erroneous, since it occurs 

 throughout the Territory wherever timber is found. A young bird of the year, taken the last 

 <of July, at Fort Kenai, is just beginning to assume the adult plumage. The range of this form 

 includes all of Alaska, probably down to the coast of British Columbia, meeting there the ground 

 of obscurus. Typical examples of fumifrons are in the National Museum from Fort Kenai, Port 

 Yukon, Fort Eeliance, Nulato, and Saint Michaels ; this must also be the form found in the Lower 

 Mackenzie Valley and, perhaps, through a large portion of Northern British America. Through- 

 out its range occur specimens which closely approach canadensis. Comparing the large series of 

 specimens from Eastern and Northwestern America I find the following characters to distinguish 

 canadensis from the present variety : 



Canadensis, from Nova Scotia. 



Back dull smoky-browu with an ashy shade ; 

 crowu dark sooty-browu, sharply defiuud by 

 the white of the frontal, cheek, aud nape area. 

 The nuchal collar of white, separating the 

 darE area of the crown from back, well marked. 

 Sides of head and ueok, aa well as throat 

 and most of breast, silvery white. The white 

 on upper breast shades thence into light 

 smoky-browuish, which usually occupies the 

 sides and flanks. The two forms run closely 

 together, in this particular, in a number of 

 cases. 



FOMIFEONS, from Alaska. 



Back ashy-brown. Crown dark blackish-brown 

 with an ashy wash, the dark area encroach- 

 ing upon frontal space until the latter may be 

 almost absent or it may be present nearly as in 

 canadensis, but this rarely. Nuchal color of 

 white usually obsolescent. Sides of head, 

 neckand throat dull white in most oases, much 

 shaded with ashy-brown. The white is limited 

 to the throat and is replaced on the breast by 

 color of abdomen, which shades into the light 

 on upper breast. The color of abdomen is a 

 smoky brownish-gray, with a dark ashy shade 

 predominating on sides and flanks. 



The Alaskan birds are a little larger than specimens of typical canadensis from Eastern North 

 America. 



