The Santa Cruz Jay 



the ages unmodified, whether by mouth of saint or mug of sinner. A 

 truce to thee, then, old boy blue! Sweet villain! No doubt we'll fight 

 again as we've fought before. And, beyond all peradventure, we'll 

 confiscate those little eggles of yours as fast as found, be they on topmost 

 branch or midmost tangle. But meanwhile, and between whiles, here's 

 to thee, cunning, agile, inconsistent bird ! Wag-in-feathers, Jack-o'- 

 dreams, rake-hell — Oh, I've a whole thesaurus to hurl at thee yet. Here, 

 take the book! Bang! 



No. 8 



Santa Cruz Jay 



A. 0. U. No. 481. i. Aphelocoma insularis Henshaw. 



Synonyms. — Island Jay. Santa Cruz Island Jay. 



Description. — Similar to A. calif omica (of which it is undoubtedly a localized 

 race), but averaging larger, and with bill much larger (about 45 per cent bulkier, al- 

 though relatively narrower); coloration richer and deeper; the blue element brighter 

 (i. e. with less of neutral gray) and deeper (between Rood's blue and prussian blue); 

 back and scapulars dusky drab; under tail-coverts pale blue (light cadet-blue); thighs 

 tinged with blue. Plumage changes as in California Jay. Length 336 (13.25) or 

 over; wing 135 (5.70); tail 148 (5.83); bill 33 (1.30); depth at nostril 11. 4 (.49); tarsus 

 46.5 d-83). 



Nesting. — Nest: a bulky mass of interlaced twigs of live oak tree, into which is 

 set neatly and deeply a cup of coiled rootlets with some admixture of grasses and. 

 rarely, horsehair; placed at moderate heights in live oak or lesser tree. Eggs: 3 or 4. 

 rarely 5, according to character of the season; in appearance remarkably uniform; 

 ground color light bluish green (microcline green fading to pale niagara green), lightly 

 spotted with olive (lincoln green to deep grape-green). Av. size of 140 specimens in 

 the Museum of Comparative Oology: 29 x 21.3 (1. 14 x .84); index 73.7. Range 25.4- 

 31.7 (1. 00-1.25) by 19.6-22.6 (.77-. 89). Extreme examples 30.5 x 19.6 (1.20 x .77), 

 index 64. 1; 25.6x21.8 (1.01 x .86); index 85.1. Season: March 10-April 10; one brood. 



Range. — Santa Cruz Island. 



Authorities. — Henshaw (Cyanocitta floridana var. californica), Rept. Orn. 

 Wheeler Surv., 1876, p. 253 (part); Henshaw, Auk, vol. iii., 1886, pp. 452-453 (de- 

 scription of insularis); Bendire, Life Hist. N. Amer. Birds, vol. ii., 1895, pp. 379-380 

 (habits, nests and eggs); Mailliard, J., Condor, vol. ii., 1900, p. 42 (measurements); 

 Willett, Pac. Coast Avifauna, no. 7, 1912, p. 68 (general); Howell, Pac. Coast Avifauna, 

 no. 12, 1917, pp. 68-69 (general account; synonymy); Swarth, Univ. Calif. Pub. Zool., 

 vol. 17, 1918, pp. 418-419, 1 fig. (critical). 



"BLLTE JAYS" of whatever type have a faculty of making them- 

 selves very much at home wherever found, whether in the firry depths of 

 a Siskiyou forest, or in the fervent chaparral of Temecula; but of all 



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