504 COEVID^. 



CYANOCORAX. 



Cyanocorax, Boiej Isis, 1826^ p. 975; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. iii. p. 119. 



Cyanocorax, after separating Cyanolyca ornata and its allies, contains, according to 

 Mr. Sharpe, thirteen species, divisible into two sections — one having all the tail-feathers 

 tipped with white, the others not so marked. The only species found in our region 

 belongs to the former section, which contains eight nominal species, two or three of 

 which are perhaps of doubtful value. The frontal feathers of C. affinis are directed 

 forwards and upwards so as to form an upright crest, the supranasal feathers just 

 covering the nostrils. The bill is short, but stout and strong; the wings are short, the 

 primaries barely exceeding the secondaries in length. 



The range of the genus extends over a large portion of Tropical South America 

 from the basin on the La Plata northwards ; it penetrates our region as far north as 

 Costa Rica. 



1. Cyanocorax affinis. 



Cyanocorax affinis, Pelz. Sitz. Ak. Wien, xx. p. 164'; Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 354'; 1879, 

 p. 510' ; Salv. P. Z. S. 1870, p. 191'; Salv. & Godm. Ibis, 1879, p. 201 ^ Sharpe, Cat. B. 

 Brit. Mus. iii. p. 121'; Zeledon, Cat. Av. de Costa Eica, p. 10'. 



Cyanocorax pileatus, Cassin, Pr. Ac. Phil. 1860, p. 138 ^ 



Uroleuca pileata, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. vii. p. 296°. 



Supra pnipurascente-brumieus ; nucha, uropygio et cauda Isete purpurascentioribus, hujus reetricibus omnibus 

 laotescente albo terminatis ; capite toto cum gutture nigris ; plaga malari maculisque duabus, una supra, 

 altera infra oculos cyaneis ; corpore subtus reliquo cum tibiis et subalaribus lactescente-albis ; rostro et 

 pedibus nigris. Long, tota 13"5, alse 6"2, caudse 7-0, rostri a rictu 1-4, tarsi 2-0. (Descr. exempl. ex 

 Chepo, Panama. Mus. nosfcr.) 



Hai. Costa Rica (Zeledon"^); Panama, Bugaba, Calobre (ArcS^), line of railway 

 {M^Leannan ^ % Chepo {ArcS % R. Truando and Nercua ( Wood ^). — Colombia ^ ^ 5_ 



Cyanocorax affinis is a Colombian species, whose range embraces the State of Panama, 

 as we have specimens from as far north as the district of Chiriqui. Mr. Zeledon 

 includes it in his list of Costa-Rican birds. M'Leannan found it not uncommon on the 

 line of the Panama railway; and Cassin records it under the name of Cyanocorax 

 jpileatus from the rivers Truando and Nercua on the Isthmus of Darien, where Mr. Wood 

 observed it in flocks on high trees near the base of the mountains ; he adds that they are 

 very shy and noisy birds, calling out loudly whenever an attempt was made to approach 

 them. Salmon found the nest and eggs of this bird in the Cauca valley in Colombia ; 

 the former is composed of sticks, and all he saw were placed with considerable skill in 

 situations difficult to find, generally a good way out on a branch. He adds that, though 

 a noisy bird at all other times, it is usually quiet when near its nest. The eggs are 

 clay-brown, thickly spotted, especially at the larger end, with spots of several shades of 

 yellowish brown. 



