CALOCITTA. 509 



Acapulco {A. H. Markham% San Juan del Eio (BSbouch^), Chietla State of 

 Puebla (Perez ^^), Oaxaca {Boucard ^), Juchitan, Tehuantepec city [Svmichrast '') ; 

 Guatemala. (Velasquez ^^), hot districts of both sides of the cordillera^, Savana 

 Grande, Eseuintla, Eetalhuleu, Rio Motagua below Choi, Chuacus, Zacapa (0. S. 

 & F. D. G.) ; HoNDUEAS, Tigre I., Comayagua (Taylor ^^) ; Nicaeagua (Salle % 

 Omotepe I. (Nutting^) ; Costa Rica (Carmiol^). 



Swainson founded his description of this species on specimens obtained by Bullock 

 •at Temiscaltepec, and Wagler's types of his Pica hullocM came from the same source, 

 the two names appearing nearly at the same date. Temminck's name (G. gubernatrix) 

 is obviously a synonym of the same bird. The range of this species is somewhat limited 

 in Mexico, being chiefly restricted to the hot region of the Pacific side of the Cordillera 

 from the State of Colima southwards to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec ; it also occurs in 

 the State of Puebla, but the name is absent from Sumichrast's list of the birds of Vera 

 Cruz. This writer states that it is one of the most widely-distributed of the birds of 

 Tehuantepec, where it makes its presence known in the obtrusive and noisy way so 

 common to all Jays, and especially to members of this genus. 



As in Mexico, so in Guatemala, this Jay is only found in the hotter parts, occurring 

 in greatest abundance in the forest-country bordering on the Pacific, up to an elevation 

 of about 2500 feet. To travellers in these districts it is exceedingly famUiar, as it often 

 keeps pace with them, crossing and recrossing the road in flocks, all the time keeping 

 up discbfdant cries ; it will thus follow a party sometimes for a mile or more, and then, 

 as if satisfied with this performance, abruptly disappear. The only other portion of 

 Guatemala in which we noticed this bird was the valley of the Motagua river, where 

 it occurs from the bridge which crosses the river between Vuelta Grande and Choi and 

 the vicinity of Gualan below the plain of Zacapa ; it occurs also in the valleys opening 

 into the Motagua, such as that in which the village of Chuacus is situated. All this 

 country is occupied by thin scrubby forest, largely composed of Mimosae, and it is woods 

 of this description rather than denser forests that this bird frequents. It is not found 

 about Salama or any other portion of the Department of Vera Paz, nor does it occur 

 in Yucatan. In Honduras Mr. Taylor says it is plentiful in Tigre Island in the Gulf 

 of Fonseca and thence inland to the foot of the mountains north of the plain of 

 Comayagua. From Costa Rica we have a single male specimen sent us by Carmiol, 

 without the precise locality being indicated. 



Mexican specimens appear to be rather greyer as a rule in the tint of their upper 

 plumage than those from further south, which are of a bluer shade ; the latter, too, 

 often have a blue tint on the throat. These diffierences are but slight and somewhat 

 inconstant. 



