64. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM Vor 96 
the region of my work in Guanacaste. It is, as others have said, 
typically a bird of the arid Tropical Zone, ranging near Liberia through 
the brushy pastures and at the borders of woodland along the streams 
and found in the groves and thickets across the slopes below the heavy 
forest on the Hacienda Santa Maria. At this period of the year they 
were in flocks of half a dozen to ten or more birds that remained in 
fairly close company. In the lowland area about Liberia, where 
there is a fairly uniform covering of brush, their interesting flock be- 
havior was hidden and obscure, but at Santa Maria, where the thickets 
and groves were isolated by broad areas of pasture, this was easily 
evident. Each baad had its definite range, and I could count each 
day on finding the groups in certain circumscribed localities. 
While these birds resemble magpies in form because of the long, 
graduated tail, they are definitely jays in action. It was regular habit 
for them to fly out of the upper branches of low trees, swing down in 
a long curve that carried them just above the ground, and then, with 
a flash of white from the partly spread tail, rise to a perch behind 
cover in another tree. In the new location it was sometimes difficult 
to obtain another glimpse of them as often they hopped and flew far- 
ther away behind cover. At other times, particularly when near 
traveled trails, they were tame and confiding, resting motionless among 
leaves only a few feet distant where I could admire their pleasing 
shades of light blue, white, and black, the recurved plumes of the jaunty 
crest, and the long graduated tail that was held at varying angles ac- 
cording to the mood or the movements of the bird. As I called to 
them among the oak groves of the highlands they often came flying 
overhead with jaylike scolding notes, sometimes two or three perching 
near together, almost touching wings, to peer down in search of the 
source of the sound that intrigued them. As their interest increased 
they uttered whistled calls and croaking sounds and moved about 
alertly. Near Liberia a small boa moving through the grass called 
down a flock with much uproar into branches near the ground, and 
they were often vociferous at other disturbances. 
The six taken were secured near Liberia on October 21 and at the 
Hacienda Santa Maria on November 11. 
From the material in the National Museum the four races that have 
been described seem evident on basis of color. The size differences 
alleged are not apparent, though this may be due to the fact that a 
number of the specimens at hand are of unknown sex. Following is 
a brief summary of the forms: 
Calocitta formosa formosa (Swainson): 
Pica formosa Swainson, Phil. Mag., new ser., vol. 1, June 1827, p. 437 (Te- 
mascaltepec, México, México). 
_Duller, more grayish blue above, with more or less black below the 
eye and on the malar region. 
