BIRDS OF NOETH AND MIDDLE .AMEBIC A. 293 



h-dVgG, long-tailed Garruliiuv) with wliully exposed nostrils, a <on- 

 spicuous recurved crest, conspicuous white tips to shorter rectrices, 

 and underparts mainly white. 



Bill stout, its depth at nostrils greater than half the distance from 

 anterior edge of nostril to tip of maxilla; culmen and gonys distinctly 

 convex. Nostrils wholly exposed, beveled oflf anteriorly, margined 

 above and behind by the membranous covering of the nasal fosste. 

 Nasal tufts entirely absent {C. cnlliei) or but slightly developed 

 ( O. formosa and subspecies). A long and very conspicuous erectile 

 crest springing from forehead or anterior portion of crown, composed 

 of rather narrow, rather stiff, somewhat spatulate, and more or less 

 recurved feathers. Wings rather long, the primaries exceeding second- 

 aries by about the length of the bill; seventh, sixth, and tifth primaries 

 longest and nearly equal, the tenth more than half as long as the 

 longest. Tail verj^ long (middle rectrices at least one and one-third, 

 sometimes nearly three times, as long as wing), much graduated 

 (middle rectrices much more than twice as long as lateral pair). Tarsus 

 much longer than exposed culmen (about equal to length of commis- 

 sure), with planta tarsi undivided, except on lower portion; middle 

 toe, with claw, decidedly shorter than tarsus. 



Coloration. — Above plain blue (the back, etc., sometimes grayish); 

 crest black (sometimes with white tips); four outermost rectrices very 

 broadly tipped with white; underparts mainly white, the chest and 

 throat black or else chest Crossed by a curved black band. 



Nidifioation. — Nest bulky, composed of thorny twigs, placed in a 

 thorny tree. Eggs unknown. 



Range. — Western Mexico to Costa Rica. (Two species.) 



KEY TO THE SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF CALOCITTA. 



a. Throat and chest black, or mostly black; sides of head black, with pale blue 

 malar patch. 

 h. A pale blue superciliary spot; crest-feathers entirely black or with indistinct 



bluish tips. ( Western Mexico. ) Calocitta colliei, adult (p. 294) 



hh. No blue superciliary spot; crest-feathers conspicuously tipped with white. 



Calocitta colliei, young (p. 294) 

 aa. Throat and chest white, the latter margined below by a curved band or collar 

 of black; sides of head white, or bluish white (sometimes with a blackish 

 triangular malar or suborbital patch). 

 h. A more or less distinct triangular malar or suborbital patch of black; back and 

 scapulars distinctly gray, with little if any bluish tinge; occiput with more or 

 less of black (often wholly black). (Southwestern Mexico, from States of 



Colima and Puebla south to Oaxaca. ) Calocitta formosa formosa (p. 295) 



bh. No trace of any dusky malar or suborbital patch (or else back and scapulars 

 distinctly bluish); back and scapulars distinctly bluish; occiput bright blue, 

 without any black. (Chiapas to Costa Eica. ) 



Calocitta formosa azurea (p. 296) 



