Garrulus californicus, Vigors, Zoöl. Beechey’s Voyage, 1839, 21, pl. v. Cyanocitta californica, Strickland, Ann. Mag. XV, 1845, 342.—Gambel, J. A. N. Sc. 2d series, I, Dec. 1847, 45.—Bon. Conspectus, 1850, 377.—Newberry, P. R. R. Rep. VI, IV, 1857, 85.—Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 584.—Heerm. X, S, 55.—Cooper, Orn. Cal. 1, 1870, 302. Cyanocorax californicus, Gambel, Pr. A. N. Sc. III, Ap. 1847, 201. Aphelocoma californica, Cabanis, Mus. Hein. 1851, 221.—Bon. Comptes Rendus, XXXVII, Nov. 1853, 828; Notes Orn. Delattre. Corvus ultramarinus, Aud. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 456, pl. ccclxii (not Garrulus ultramarinus, Bon.). Garrulus ultramarinus, Aud. Syn. 1839, 154.—Ib. Birds Am. IV, 1842, 115, pl. ccxxxii (not of Bonaparte). Cyanocitta superciliosa, Strickland, Ann. Mag. XV, 1845, 260 (type of genus Cyanocitta). “Corvus palliatus, Drapiez,” Bonap.
Sp. Char. Width of bill at base of lower mandible rather more than half the length of culmen. Lateral tail-feathers about an inch the shortest. Tail an inch longer than the wings. General color above, including the surface of the wings, bright blue, without bars. The whole back, including to some extent the scapulars, brownish-ash, very faintly glossed with blue in the adult. À streaked white superciliary line from a little anterior to the eye as far as the occiput. Sides of the head and neck blue, the region around and behind the eye, including lores and most of ear-coverts, black. The blue of the sides of the neck extends across the forepart of the breast, forming a crescent, interrupted in the middle. The under parts anterior to the crescent white, the feathers edged with blue; behind it dull white; the sides tinged with brown. Length, 12.25; wing, 5.00; tail, 6.15; tarsus, 1.55. (No. 2,841.)
Hab. Pacific Province from Columbia River to Cape St. Lucas; Carson City, Nevada (Ridgway).
Cyanocitta californica.
Specimens from Cape St. Lucas are rather smaller and perhaps whiter beneath than elsewhere; those from the eastern slope of Sierra Nevada are very large. Upon a careful comparison, we find that the supposed specimens of C. californica in the Smithsonian collection from Mexico (Orizaba, etc.) constitute a quite different form, characterized by very indistinct superciliary white and bluish edges to throat and jugular feathers, and especially by the lengthened wings, which average 5.75 inches instead of 5.00. In general respects the resemblance, as suggested by Sclater, is to californica, and not to woodhousei. The dorsal patch is very distinct.
PLATE XL.
