BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 313 



and third prinuiries being longest, instead (if the scA'onth, sixth, fifth, 

 and fourth, as in the other three. 



An}^ further subdivision would, however, hardly be justifiable, 

 except possibly in the case of C. niclariocyancd, which differs in more 

 respects from any of the other species than any two of them do from 

 one another. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF CISSILOPHA. 



a. A distinct frontal crest of narrow, nearly straight, feathers; nostrils largely 

 exposed. ( Cisdlopha san-blasiana. ) 

 b. Back, etc., bright cerulean blue. (States of .Talisco and Colima and Territory 

 of Tepic, southwestern Mexico. ) . .Cissiloplia san-blasiana san-blasiana (p. 313) 

 hb. Back, etc., bright cobalt or ultramarine blue. (State of Guerrero, south- 

 western ilexico. ) Cissilopha san-blasiana pulchra (p. 314) 



OM. No frontal crest, but feathers of whole pileum more or less elongated; nostrils 

 mostly or wholly concealed. 

 b. Under parts entirely black, except thighs and under tail-coverts; feathers of 

 pileum only slightly elongated, not forming a distinct crest, 

 c. Nostrils partl>' exposed; back, etc., light cerulean or turquoise blue; smaller 

 (wing less than 203). 

 d. Bill black; rectrices without white terminal spots. (Yucatan; eastern 

 Guatemala; British Honduras. ) . .Cissiloplia yucatanioa, adult male, ( p. 315) 

 dd. Bill yellow; rectrices with white terminal spots. 



Cissilopha yucatanioa, young (p. 315) 

 cc. Nostrils wholly covered; back, etc., rich smalt blue; larger (wing more than 

 203). (States of Sinaloa and Sonora, northwestern Mexico.) 



Cissiloplia beecheii (p. 316) 

 bb. Under parts dull blue posterior to chest; feathers of pileum distinctly elon- 

 gated, forming a bushy, decumbent crest. ' (Guatemala, Salvador, Honduras, 

 and northern Nicaragua.) Cissilopha melanooyanea (p. 317) 



CISSILOPHA SAN-BLASIANA SAN-BLASIANA (Vigors). 

 SAN BLAS JAY. 



Adults (sexes alike). — Entire head, neck, upper portion of back, and 

 under parts, except thighs and under tail-coverts, uniform black; 

 thighs and under tail-coverts dull or dusky ultramarine blue; upper 

 parts (except of pileum, hindneck, and upper back) uniform bright 

 cerulean or sevres blue, more greenish on wings (verditer blue on ter- 

 tials), the tail cobalt or almost ultramarine blue; under surface of 

 remiges and rectrices slate-black; bill black; iris brown;" legs and 

 feet (in dried skins) horn color. 



Young. — Similar to adults, but black of under parts duller (some- 

 times tinged with dull blue), feathers of hinder crown and occiput 

 more or less tinged or tipped with blue, and bill partlj- (sometimes 

 wholly) yellowish or flesh colored. 



Admit ^Rale.—ljQngth. '(skins), 274.5-305 (294.5); wing, 135-139.5 

 (137); tail, 137.5-145 (142); exposed culmen, 30-31 (30.5); depth of bill 



»Xantus, manuscript.' 



