216 CTANUEUS STELLERI VAR. ilACEOLOPHUS. 



ists iiucler two very well-marked, though of course intergrading, forms ; the typical 

 stelleri is confined to the northern coast region, from Sitka to the Columbia River, and 

 is characterized by a short crest, entirely black head without any blue on the forehead ; 

 by sooty-black body and uniform bine of wings, belly, rump and tail. From the Co- 

 lumbia, southward along the Sierra Nevada to Southern California, it is modified into 

 a well-marked form (var. frontalis), which has a longer crest, the head and crest gray- 

 ish-brown with conspicuous blue streaks on the forehead, brownish-ashy body, and two 

 different shades of blue— the indigo of the tail and secondaries being abruptly con- 

 trasted with the light azure of the lump, primaries, abdomen, and tail-coverts. This 

 form « * « » approximates closely to C. macrolopha of a parallel latitude, but 

 .does not grade into if, there never being a white supraocular spot, barred greater coverts, 

 oi- other peculiar features of the Rocky Mountain and Mexican form. That the north- 

 ern race of 0. stelleri should grade into C. macrolopha, while the southern one does not, 

 seems to be easily explained by the following facts : The habitat, longitudinally, of 

 C. coronata var. macrolopha, is exceedingly limited, it being confined to the central 

 ranges of the Rocky Mountain system ; thus it is cvery%vhere separated from the hab- 

 itat of stelleri var. frontalis, which is equally restricted longitudinally by that broad 

 desert expanse, the Great Basin, which affords no sheltering woods, such as arc fur- 

 nished on the two boundary barriers, the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Jlountains, 

 ■which e»ch represents. The northern limit of the range of C. macrolopha passes just 

 , a little beyond the southern limit of the habitat of the northern race of the coast 

 stock, and at a latitude where the Great Basin becomes greatly reduced in width, or 

 even terminates, and where its two great mountain systems become less distinctly .sep- 

 arated. Consequently the coast stdck cannot grade into the Rocky Mountain one, by 

 approaching its habitat, until [except] before it becomes modified into var. frontalis. 

 * * * * The coast stock reaches its southern limit with the Sierra Nevada, and 

 this of course prevents it from passing into C. coronata var. diademata." 



It will be observed that in this article Mr. Ridgway keeps the mountain and coast 

 stocks specifically separated, assigning the former to C, coronata as a variety. He, 

 however, admits their iutergradation, saying : " As a summary of tliese facts, it appears 

 evident that the series of forms under consideration is divided into two Avell-marked 

 stocks, but that they intergrade at one point. The conclusion then must be, that they 

 are all modifications of one primitive species, or we must accept as the only alterna- 

 tive the hypothesis of hybridization." And again, speaking of the mountain varieties, 

 he says: "It is possible, however, that even the C stelleri may yet also have to be 

 combined -with these," apparently overlooking the fact that bi th Mr. Allen and myself 

 {11. cc.) had already made the combination he indicates. Messrs. Baird and Ridgway 

 now combine the whole series as one species with five varieties, a procedure which I 

 endorsed without hesitation. 



Haviug enjoyed excellent facilities for studying the liabits and man- 

 ners of the Long-crested Jay in the pine-clad mountains of Arizona, I 

 offered, on a previous occasion, an account substautiall.^ as follows : 



When I was traveling westward, in the spring of 1864, I saw some of 

 these Jays in the Raton Mountains, in Xew Mexico, which I believe to 

 be about their eastern limit, at least in this latitude, for they were 

 strongly attached to pine-clad mountains, and are found as high up as 

 timber grows. In crossing the Eocky Mountains, through Whipple's 

 Pass, I did not happen to meet with any ; to the westward still, in the 

 lofty forests of the San Francisco Mountains, they were abundant, and 

 at that time (July) had just reared their families, and were rambling 

 through the tops of the trees together. The old birds were in sorry 

 plight, literally with a "crest-fallen" air, and full of pin-feathers. But 

 when I came across them the third time, in the i)ineries about Fort 

 Whipple, they were in good trim once moie, and saucy as ever. They 

 live in the mountainous parts of Arizona all the year, for they are able 

 to endure severe cold, being of hardy nature, and well clothed with 

 soft, thick plumage, while their food is such as can be procured at any 

 season. Thus being non-migratory, their permanent habitat may be 

 given with some accuracy ; it includes the wooded Rocky Mountain 

 region at large. To the north, and especially about the Columbia River, 

 they become mixed up with Steller's Jay, which is the boreal extreme, 

 reaching into Alaska; while in the opposite direction they run into the 

 Cyauura coronata on the Table-lands of Mexico. 



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