CTANOCITTA. 353 



Genus CYANOCITTA Strickland. (Page 351, pi. C, fig. 1.) 



Species. 



Common Characters. — Upper parts mainly blue, the secondaries and tail 

 (sometimes greater coverts also) barred with black ; head black or vai-ied with 

 black ; lower parts uniform blue, or whitish with a black collar across chest. 



a x . Lower parts whitish ; greater wing-coverts, secondaries, and tail-feathers (ex- 

 cept middle pair) broadly tipped with white. {Adult : Crest and back light 

 purplish blue ; wings and tail bright cobalt-blue, the greater coverts, sec- 

 ondaries, and tail barred with black; sides of head, chin, and throat purplish 

 whitish, bordered posteriorly by a black collar, commencing under the crest, 

 widening into a crescent across chest, and sending forward a streak to the 

 eye ; lores and narrow frontal band also black ; breast and sides smoky 

 grayish, belly and under tail-coverts white. Young: Similar, but colors 

 duller and less sharply contrasted.) 

 b x . Larger, with more white on tips of secondaries and tail-feathers (on outer 

 tail-feather 1.00, or more, in extent) ; length 11.00-12.50, wing 5.00-5.70 

 (5.28), tail 5.05-5.70 (5.36), exposed culmen .93-1.06 (1.00), tarsus 1.24- 

 1.45 (1.37). Nest of dried twigs, rootlets, etc., built usually in trees, often 

 in orchards or about houses. Eggs pale olive, isabella-color, greenish, or 

 buffy, rather sparsely spotted or speckled with brown. Sab. Eastern 

 North America, except Florida, north to Fur Countries, west to Great 



Plains 477. C. cristata (Linn.). Blue Jay. 



6 a . Smaller, with less white on tips of secondaries and tail-feathers (that on 

 outer tail-feather less than 1.00 in extent) ; length 10.00-11.50, wing 4.80- 

 5.30 (5.02), tail 4.80-5.50 (5.08), culmen .93-1.03 (.98), tarsus 1.26-1.42 

 (1.34). Sab. Florida. 



477a. C. cristata florincola Coues. Florida Blue Jay. 

 a 2 . Lower parts blue ; wing and tail without any white. 

 J 1 . No whitish spot over eye. 



c>. Head (including crest), neck, and back deep black, or brownish black, 

 the forehead not conspicuously (often not at all) streaked on fore- 

 head with blue ; blue of secondaries and tail a deep Berlin-blue shade, 

 that of rump and lower parts paler; length about 12.00-13.00, wing 

 5.55-6.20 (5.86), tail 5.30-6.35 (5.74), culmen .96-1.18 (1.09), tarsus 

 1.55-1.81 (1.72). Nest in coniferous trees. Eggs 3-5, 1.30 X -90, usu- 

 ally pale bluish green, speckled with clove-brown, sometimes pale 

 greenish gray, speckled with reddish brown. Sab. Northwest 

 coast, north to Sitka, south to northern California (on coast only). 



478. C. stelleri (Gmel.). Steller's Jay. 



c i . Head, neck, and back brownish slaty, the crest more or less strongly 



tinged with blue, and forehead conspicuously streaked with the 



same; blue of secondaries and tail much lighter (deep azure), that 



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