July, 1922 STATUS OF THE CRESTED JAYS 131 
aroused for the reason that no one else questioned the dictum of the authorities, 
who had stated that the Coast Jay occupied the Humid Coast Belt in California 
from the Santa Lucia Mountains, in southern Monterey County, north to the 
Oregon line. 
As no further light upon this subject seemed to be forthcoming, and as this 
sort of work could be combined with other interests in the same line, it was de- 
cided to map out the field work of the Department of Ornithology of the Cali- 
fornia Academy of Sciences for the year 1921 so as to cover this northwest coast 
region and decide the matter definitely. This field party comprised two mem- 
bers, Mr. Chase Littlejohn, assistant curator, and myself for the spring work, 
with Mr. Chester C. Lamb temporarily taking Mr. Littlejohn’s place for the 
fall work. - 
Breeding specimens of the crested jay were obtained at Patrick’s Hotel and 
at Requa, Del Norte County, the former place being situated in the mountains 
about twenty or twenty-five miles in a straight line from the ocean, and the lat- 
ter at the mouth of the Klamath River, practically on the ocean; while a few 
were also secured at Myer’s Ranch, Humboldt County, probably eighteen miles 
inland, during the spring work. Every one of the specimens so obtained showed 
a closer approach to the Blue-fronted than to the Coast Jay! Yet it was difficult 
to say what dates of capture of the spring birds of the northwest coast would 
correspond with those of specimens from the central coast region so that the com- 
parison might be a just one, since the northern season is so much colder and later 
than that of the central area. 
To overcome this element of doubt, the fall trip was made over practically 
the same ground, but specimens were collected in more places, these being from 
north to south as follows: Requa, Del Norte County; Kneeland Prairie (16 miles 
in bee line east of Humboldt Bay), Petrolia (5 or 6 miles from the ocean), 
Thorn (same distance inland). all in Humboldt County; and Cummings (over 
20 miles inland), Mendocino County. 
The birds from all these places are in fresh new plumage, in the best possi- 
ble state for comparison with birds in similar plumage elsewhere. The spring 
birds, taken in the third week in May, from Patrick’s Creek, are practically 
frontalis, somewhat darker than typical specimens of this race, but as near tyni- 
eal as are many other specimens that are unquestionably placed with frontalis. 
Patrick’s Creek is a tributary of Smith River, and the coniferous forest covering 
the canyons of these streams is thus directly connected with that of the sea-coast. 
with no break of any magnitude in the way of country unsuited to this jay. 
In April and May a good series of jays was obtained at Requa, and they 
proved to be darker than any taken south of that point; but the decidedly brown- 
ish tinge of the crest, head, neck and back of the Coast Jay is not noticeable in 
those parts of the spring birds from Reaua when compared with the former. In 
these latter birds there seems to be a slight brownish cast when they are looked 
at by themselves, but this disappears on comparison with carbonacea. when the 
resulting contrast makes the head of the Requa birds look black, or slaty black. 
The crest feathers of the Requa birds seem to match the Black or Slate Black of 
Ridgway’s Nomenclature of Colors more nearly than they do any of the other 
combinations or hues. 
The back of the northwest coast jays appears to be nearer to the Dark 
