236 



North American Birds Eggs. 



490. Fish Crow. Corvus ossifragus. 



Range. — South Atlantic and Gulf coasts, north in summer to Connecticut. 



IB uish green.] 



From Virginia southward, this small Crow 

 (length 16 inches) is more abundant on the coast 

 than the common Crow which is often in company 

 with this species. As a rule thej' are less shy than 

 are their larger relatives, and, when engaged in 

 searching for food, will frequently approach hu- 

 man beings, apparently with little fear. Their food 

 consists of grain, berries, and animal matter, 

 which they pick up often from the surface of the 

 water. Their nesting habits are like those of the 

 common Crow and the eggs are similar and have 

 as great variations, but are smaller. Size 1.45 x 1.03. 



49 1. Clarke Nutcracker. Xwifraga ailumbiann. 

 Range.— Mountains of western North America from Mexico to Alaska. 



The Clarke Crow, as tliis bird is often known, is a com- 

 mon resident in most of its range. The adults are grayish -^v''' '■ 

 with black wings and central tail feathers, the tips of the '■•'■•■ ::' _ 

 primaries and outer tail feathers being white. Their tail is t;- ' • . . "• 

 short and their flight slow and somewhat undulating like '•', :'.•' \ 

 that of some of the Woodpeckers. Their food consists of "vi-. ' ■ .- 

 anything edible from seeds and larvae in the winter to 

 insects, berries, eggs and young birds at other seasons. 

 In the spring they retire to "the tops of ranges, nearly to the 

 limit of trees, where the.y build their large nests of sticks, 

 twigs, weeds, strips of bark, and fibres matted together so as to form a soft round 

 ball with a deeply cupped interior; the nest is located at from ten to forty feet 

 from the ground in pine trees and the eggs are laid early before the snow begins 

 to leave. They are three in number, grayish in color with a greenish tinge and 

 finely spotted over the whole surface with dark brown and lavender. Size 

 1.30 X .90. Data.— Salt Lake Co., Utah, April 25, 1900. Nest placed in pine 40 

 feet up on a horizontal branch, and not visible from below. The tree was at the 

 upper edge of a pine forest at an altitude of about 3000 feet above Salt Lake City. 

 The nest was discovered by seeing the parent fly into the tree; the next day a 

 nest was found with three young nearly ready to fly. Collector, W. H. Parker. 

 This set of three eggs is in the oological collection of Mr. C. W. Crandall. 



[Grayish blue.) 



492. Pinon Jay. Cyanocephalus ryanorcphalus 



[Bluish white. ^ 



Range.— Western United States between the Rockies 

 and Sierra Nevadas, and from southern British Colum- 

 bia to Arizona. 



This Crow-like Jay has a nearly uniform bluish plum- 

 age, and is found abundantly in the pine belts of its 

 range. Their habits are similar to those of the Clarke 

 Crow and the nests are similarh' built at lower elevations 

 in pines or junipers. During April or May they lay 

 from three to five eggs of a bluish white color specked 

 and spotted with brown. Size 1.20 x .85. 



