THE LONG-CRESTED JAY. 771 
another Mexican species, C. diademata, differs but little. These 
birds are more sombre in general plumage, than the C. cristata of 
the east, but still they are beautiful; they differ mainly in the 
varying extent of the sooty blackish and the blue, and in the pre- 
cise character of the blue or white spots about the head. Our 
two kinds above named might be described almost in the same. 
terms; they are grayish black with a faint blue shade, passing on 
the rump and abdomen into bright blue, which becomes even richer 
on the wings and tail; these last are barred with black. The chin 
is slightly streaked with whitish; otherwise, the whole head is 
glossy black, except that the crest is prettily faced in front with 
blue or bluish-white, and there are frequently whitish spots about 
the eyelids, as in a robin. It is the character of these head-mark- 
ings, and the longer and fuller crest, that chiefly distinguishes the 
Long-crested from Steller’s jay. Both are about a foot long, and 
nearly half as much in spread of wing; the wings and tail are 
each about half a foot. The sexes can hardly be told apart, 
though the male is a little the larger; the young rapidly come to 
resemble the parents; but when they leave the nest they lack the 
black bars on the wings and tail, and the head markings. 
Then I was travelling westward in the spring of 1864, I saw 
some of these jays in the Raton Mountains, in New Mexico, which 
I believe to be about their eastern limit, at least on that latitude, 
for they are strongly attached to pine-clad mountains, and, like 
Clarke’s crow (Picicorvus columbianus) and the Blue-headed jay 
(Gymnocokitta cyanocephala), are found as high up as timber grows. 
In crossing the Rocky Mountains through Whipple’s Pass, I did 
not happen to meet with any, though others before me had been 
` more fortunate; to the westward still, in the lofty forests of the 
San Francisco Mountains, they were abundant, and at that time 
(July), had just reared their families, and were rambling through 
the tops of the trees together. The old birds were in sorry con- 
dition, and had literally a “ crest-fallen” air, as if they felt they 
had lost their chief ornament, and were stuck full of pin-feathers 
besides. But when I came across them the third time, in the 
pineries about Fort Whipple, they were in good trim once more, 
and saucy as ever. They live in the mountainous parts of Ari- 
zona all the year, for they are able to endure pretty severe cold, 
being of hardy nature, and well clothed with very soft, thick 
plumage, while their food is such as can be procured at any sea- 
AMER. NATURALIST, VOL. V 49 
