284 BIRDS OF WESTERN AND 



"The geographical distribution of this jay is less extensive than the Urraca {G. coUiei) ; I did not meet 

 with it in Tehuantepec, and I think it more abundant in Sinaloa, or Northwestern Mexico than it is farther 

 south. I have generally met with it among the low scrubby forests of the poorer lands of Sinaloa, to which 

 it seems to be more partial than the rank woods in some parts of the country. Its food consists of grubs, 

 beetles, and various kinds of insects ; also many kinds of fruit ; it is also very fond of meat ; corn when to be 

 had he is very partial to, and holding the grain between his claws, he divides it with great dexterity by ham- 

 mering it with his strong bill. Iris of the male yellow, that of the female gray." 



In Xantus' collection I find specimens of this species obtained on the Tres Marias 

 Islands, which I was not aware of when I gave a list of the birds found there. 



105. Cissolopha sanblasianus (Lafr.). 



Plains of Colima, ManzanUla Bay, Los Trochas, Xantus. 



106. Calocitta colliei (Vig.). 



" " Finsch, Abh. nat. Ver. zu Bremen, 1870, p. 334. 



" elegans " " " " " p. 335. 



Mazatlan, Grayson, Xantus, Bischoflf. 



"All the Jay family are more or less addicted to mimicry, gesticulation, and a great propensity to thieving, 

 robbing every bird's nest of its eggs, or even its young, if not driven off by the owner. The Urraca is an 

 adept in all these accomplishments, if not superior to his congeners in cunning and intelligence. 



"After the month of September the Urracas in families of seven or eight will almost invariably be found in 

 company with the small flocks of Double-crested Orioles {Cassiculus melanicterus), with whom they continue 

 all the winter until the breeding season arrives. They follow the orioles through all their perigrinations in 

 the woods, in order to share a part of the various beetles, grasshoppers and other insects, and their larvae 

 which the more active orioles are better fitted to uncover from their hiding places in the bark and leaves of 

 trees. They thus pass the time hunting amicably together, the orioles seeming to be satisfied with their 

 society, and at the same time the ever vigilant Urracas, being on the alert, give timely warning of danger. 



" The UiTaca Jay builds its nest in May ; it is composed of rough thorny sticks, and lined with moss or 

 fibres of roots and grass ; it is about as large as that of a magpie, and like that bird, a great deal of caution ia 

 observed in locating it in some inaccessible thorny tree. 



"Of the numerous species of jays, the Urraca excels all in size and showy appearance, his elegant form, his 

 splendid plumage of glossy blue upon the upper parts, whilst his under dress is a pure white ; his very long 

 and graduated tail, the two central feathers of which in some individuals measure two feet; the ample re- 

 curved crest of black feathers tipped with blue, surmounting a well-shaped head, the jetty plumage of his 

 neck and throat, forming a crescent upon his white breast, like an escutcheon — all of which gives to our hero 

 a truly regal and princely air, beautifully harmonizing with the tropical- forest in which he lives. 



"It is a habitant of Western Mexico, generally met with in the thick and voluptuous forest of the tierra 

 caliente, near the Pacific coast. It is seldom seen to the eastward of the summit of the Cordilleras. Its 

 geographical range being from Sinaloa, Mexico, to Central America ; in all tliis region it is common, though an 

 interesting bird to the traveller or native, and generally elicits a full share of admiration as he appears con- 

 spicuous among the numerous gaudy tenants of his native woods. Often have I paused upon the road to 

 watch his eccentricities, his dodges, his taunts and jeers, of which he is unsparing to the stranger. They 

 will then follow the traveller for half a mile or more, until their curiosity seems to be satisfied, when suddenly, 

 with the greatest seeming contempt, they will fly off with their wings and tail spread to their fullest extent, 

 uttering a loud squally note, seeming to say — Adlos Gringo ! 



" The adult has the crest of the head black, the feathers forming it often tipped with blue, and sometimes 

 entirely black. A young male now before me has all the feathers forming the crest distinctly tipped with 

 white. In the young or immature birds the black of the chin and throat is replaced by a dirty white, with a 

 mixture of black, edged with a black crescent-shaped band dividing it from the pure white of the rest of the 

 under parts. 



"There is no perceptible difference in the sexes.'' 



