GORVID^ — GABBULIN^ : JAYS. 423 



eggs 5-6. 1.25 to 1.35 X 0.80 to 0.90, pale bluish-green, profusely spotted and blotched with 

 dark ohve-brown and lighter brown. 

 112 APHELO'COMA. (Gr. ^(^fX^s, apheles, smooth, sleek; (com, Jiome, hair: alluding to the 

 lack of crest.) Cke.stless Blue Jays. Generally as in Cyanocitta. Head uncrestcd. Tail 

 longer or shorter than wings, instead of about equal, graduated (in some cxtralm.ital forms 

 about equal to the wing and cveu). Tarsus rather longer than middle toe and claw. Wings 

 and tail blue, without black bars, and blue the chief body-color ; whitish underneath, mth 

 (usually) or without a gray patch on the back. All Southern and Southwestern. 



Analysis of Species and Varieties. 

 Tail longer than wings, gr.aduated. Above blue, with gray dorsal area; belly dingy whitish; a super- 

 ciliary stripe, and the throat streaky. 

 Forehead hoary-white; superciliary stripe not well-defined. Dorsal patch well-defined. Cnssum 



blue, contrasting with grayish under parts flortdana 354 



Forehead blue ; superciliary stripe distinct. Dorsal patch ill-defined, spreading and bluish. Cnssum 



bluish, but not well contrasted with dingy under parts woodlwusvi 35.5 



Forehead blue; superciliary stripe distinct. Dorsal patch weU-deflned. Crissum whitish like other 



under parts caUfomica 356 



* Tail rather shorter than wing, rounded. Blue, without definite dorsal area, or pectoral or superciliary 



streaks arizonm 357 



354. A. florida'na. (Of Florida.) FLORIDA Jay. <J ? : Blue ; back with a .small well-defined 

 gray patch not invading scapulars; belly and sides pale grayish; under tail-coverts and tibia? 

 blue in marked contrast ; much hoary whitish on forehead and sides of crown, but no shai-p white 

 suiierciliary stripe ; chin, throat, and middle of breast vague streaky whitish and bluish ; ear- 

 coverts dusky ; the blue that seems to encircle the head and neck M'ell defined against the gray 

 of back and breast. Bill comparatively short, very stout at the base. Length 11.00-13.50, 

 average 11.75; extent 13.50-15.00, average 14.50; wing 4.00-4.75, average 4.40; tail 4.50- 

 5.50 average 5.00, always longer than wing ; bill about 1.00. Florida (and Gulf Slates 'f), 

 abundant. Very local, and not authentic as occurring outside of Florida. Usual habits of 

 jays. Nest a flat structure, in bushes, of twigs lined with fibres. Eggs 4-5, bluish-green, 

 sparingly speckled, chiefly at larger end, with brown, 1.00 X O.SO. 



355. A. f . woodhou'sii. (To S. W. Woodhouse.) Woodhouse's Jay. The dorsal patch dark, 

 glossed with blue, shading into the blue of suiTounding parts ; under parts rather darker than 

 in C. floridana, somewhat bluish-gray ; the under tail-coverts bluish but not contrasted ; on 

 the breast the blue and gray shading into each other, the gular and pectoral streaks whitish 

 and well-defined, the superciliary line definite white, but no hoary on forehead ; bill slenderer. 

 ^ 9 , adult : General color blue, rich and pure on the wings, tail, rump, crown, back and sides 

 of neck, and on the breast surrounding the streaky white area. Middle of back and scapulars 

 dark gray much tinged with blue, shading insensibly into the surrounding blue. Upper and 

 under tail-covorts blue. Under parts from the breast gray, with blue tinge (in californica 

 nearly white). Chin, throat, and breast with a series of whitish blue-edged streaks, enclosed 

 in surrounding blue. Lores, orbits, and auriculars dusky. A series of sharp white streaks 

 over and behind eye. Wings and tail blue ; the inner webs of most of the quills, and the tail 

 viewed from below, dusky. The inner secondaries and tail-feathers, closely examined, show 

 obsolete barring, like that which becomes pronounced in Cyanocitta, but the traces are faint, 

 and the feathers maybe properly called plain. Iris brown ; bill and feet black. Length of ^ , 

 about 12.00 : extent ]6. 50; wing 5.00; tail 6.00; bill 1.12; tarsus 1.50; middle toe and claw 

 1.33. 9 smaller: average 11.25 ; extent 15.50, etc. Young: Wings and tail as in the adult ; 

 upper parts mostly gray : under parts grayish-white, with little or no blue on the breast, the 

 pectoral streaks undefined, as are those over the eye. Rocky Mt. region, from Wyoming and 

 Idaho southward. Habits, nest and eggs as in other species. The eggs in this genus usually 

 differ from those of Cyanocitta, by more greenish ground color and bolder marking, especially 



