Nesting of the Santa Cruz Jay.
ON the 30th day of April, 1897, I was landed on the west end of Santa Cruz Island and for five days busied myself in collecting and caring for the few species of birds found within a few miles of camp. I had been hoping to find the Santa Cruz Jay nesting, but until the forenoon of the 8th of May not a bird had been seen. On that day, after a long walk up the bottom of a canon, the first Jay was seen perched on a dead willow stump a short distance ahead, and was at once laid away in my basket out of the hot sun. A 20 minutes’ search among the bushes and small trees nearby revealed a nest in the thick top of a scrubby oak, on the steep side hill and on a level with my eyes. A careful approach showed the female on the nest where she remained until my hand was but inches from her. She then flew to a tree forty yards off, from which she too was laid away with her mate.
The nest contained two eggs and was the counterpart of a California Jay's nest, being composed principally of oak twigs and lined with rootlets. The next day, after a long steep climb over rough hills, a second nest was found near the bottom of a rocky canon in a tangle of bushes. The birds were heard calling on the hill above the nest, which, after a short search, was located. It was similar in construction to the first and contained three eggs. A half mile farther down the canon another nest was found near the end of an oak limb, fifteen feet from the ground and contained two young birds. The location, material and size of this nest was very similar to that of the Blue-fronted Jay in Santa Clara County, Cal., so much so in fact, that I had to tear it slightly to make sure there was no mud in it. The birds were absent when I climbed out to it, and I thought it possible that the Blue-fronted might occur on the Island.
A few hundred yards farther a nest was seen in a willow tree near the stream, twelve feet up. The bird remained on until I nearly touched her, when she flew across the stream and called her mate, who came and silently watched me a short distance away. The silence of the Island Jays was very noticeable, and except for their habit of perching in conspicuous places, might have prevented their discovery. Judging from the four nests examined, two or three eggs would seem to be an average set. The eggs are somewhat larger than the average eggs of A. californica. Those obtained measure: (Set ½); 1.21x.85, 1.18x.84. (Set ⅓); 1.15x.90, 1.18x.90, 1.18x.92. (Set ⅔); 1.10x.86, 1.14x.88 1.16x86 inches. The markings are much lighter in color also, being light brown, grayish and lavender.
Berryessa, Cal., Dec. 24, 1898.
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Two Albinos from Los Angeles, Cal.
Carpodacus mexicanus frontalis—On Oct. 14, 1898, I secured an albino House Finch from a large flock of the same species. The head, neck and body of this bird are of almost snowy whiteness. On the wings, two primaries, two secondaries and most of the greater and lesser wing coverts are white; the remainder of the wing feathers are normal. The pattern of coloration on the wings is exactly similar. The tail is normal, with the exception of one of the middle feathers, which has a white tip and has a peculiar shriveled appearance. The bill was white, rather bluish toward the tip; the feet, pale flesh color, and the legs a trifle darker; iris, brown. On dissection it proved to be an adult female.
Zonotrichia leucophrys intermedia. On Dec. 18, 1898, Mr. O. W. Howard brought me several birds he had secured the same day, and among them, an albino Intermediate Sparrow. It was an immature bird, but the sex was indistinguishable, the sexual organs being destroyed by the shot. It is of a dull, smoky white all over except on the top of the head, where traces of the brown crown are apparent. Traces of the white tips are visible on the greater wing coverts, which are a trifle darker than the rest of the wing. The iris was brown.H. S. Swarth, Los Angeles, Cal.
