584 U. S. p. E. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



CYANOCITTA, Strickland. 



Cyanocitta, Strickland, Annals and Mag. N. H. XV, 1845, 260. Type, Garrulus calif amicus, Vigors. 

 ^pheloeoma, Cabanis, Mus. Hein. 1851, 221. Same type. 



Ch. — Head without crest. "Wings and tail blue, without any bands. Back with a gray patch, different from the head. Bill 

 about as broad as high at the base, and the culmen a little shorter than the head . Nostrils large, nearly circular, and concealed . 

 Tail shorter or nearly equal to the wings, lengthened, graduated. 



This genus has much the general character of Gyanura or the blue jays, but is readily 

 distinguished by the absence of a crest and of black bars on the wings and tail. The wings 

 generally are shorter ; the general characteristics, however, appear much the same. 



The G. idtramarina differs from the other species in having the wings considerably longer, or 

 fully equal to the tail, which also is nearly even, instead of considerably graduated. 



Synopsis of species. 



Blue of sides of head extending over the sides of the breast to its middle. Chin, throat, 

 and breast white ; the feathers of the latter margined with blue. Interscapular gray patch 

 conspicuously different from the head. A superciliary streak of white. 



Belly and under tail coverts dull white. Forehead blue. A well marked superciliary 



stripe C. californica. 



Belly light brownish ash ; under tail coverts blue. Forehead blue like the crown. 



Interscapular region glossed with blue. Superciliary stripe distinct G. ivoodhouseii. 



Belly brownish ash ; under tail coverts blue. Forehead and sides of crown bluish hoary, 

 conspicuously different from the blue crown, the superciliary stripe not well marked. 



G. floridana. 



Under parts without any bluish edges to the pectoral feathers ; breast bluish ash ; belly and 



crissum pure white. Interscapular region scarcely different from the remaining upper surfaces. 



Tail nearly even, considerably shorter than the wing G. vltramarina. 



Tail rounded, nearly as long as the wings G. sordida. 



CYANOCITTA CALIFOBKICA, Strickland. 



California Jay. 



Garrulus califomicus, Vigors, Zool. Beechey's Voyage, 1839, 21 ; pi. v. 



Cyanocitta californica, Strickland, Ann. Mag. XV, 1845, 342. — Gambel, J.A.N. Sc. 2d series, I, Dec. 1847 



45.— Bon. Conspectus, 1850, 377.— Newberry, P. R. R. Rep. VI, iv, 1857, 85. 

 Cyanocorax califomicus, Gambel, Fr. A. N. Sc. Ill, Ap. 1847, 201. 

 .aphelocoma californica, Cabanis, Mus. Hein. 1851, 221 — Bon. Comptes Rendus, XXXVII, Nov. 1853, 828; Notes 



Cm. Delattre. 

 Corvus uUramarinus, Add . Cm. Biog. IV, 1838, 456 ; pi. 362. - Not Garrulus %dtramarinus, Bon. 

 Garrulus uUramarinus, Add . Syn. 1839, 154.— Ib . Birds Amer. IV, 1842, 115 ; pi. 932. Not of Bonaparte. 

 Cyanocitta superciliosa, Strickland, Ann. Mag. XV, 1845, 260. Type of genus Cyanocitta. 

 " Corvus palliatus, Drapiez," Bonap. 



Sp. Ch.— Width of bill at base of lower mandible rather more than half the length of culmen. Lateral tail feathers about 

 on inch shortest. Tail an inch longer than the wings. General color above, including the surface of the wings, bright blue 

 without any bars. The whole back, including to some extent the interscapulars, brownish ash, very faintly glossed with blue 

 in the adult. A streaked white superciliary line from a little anterior to the eye as far as the occiput. Sides of the head and 

 neck blue, the region around and behind the eye, including lores and most of ear coverts, black. The blue of the sides of the 

 neck extends across the fore part of the breast, forming a crescent, interrupted in the middle. The under parts anterior to the 



