O. Gy. Dely szerk.: Vertebrata Hungarica 20. (Budapest, 1981)
Horváth, L.: A singular Garrulus lanceolatus-like reversionary jay specimen 65-68. o.
live in the West, the two speculumed (" bispecularis ") ones in the East, in the immediate neighbourhood of the Himalayan Jay-species, Garrulus lanceolatus Vigors out of the up to this date described 62 Jay-subspecies. Consequently the "bispecularis" ones so to say create transition from the "monospecularis" ones to the likewise two speculumed lanceolatus species. The above discussed peculiarities are only morphological ones that is remarkable by itself but before me (HORVÁTH, 1976) nobody else did not refer to. Setting out from the above mentioned establishments I was looking for such characteristics those make closer the connection (related threads) with the lanceolatus species. I have found in my research material, including 351 specimens representing 17 valid subspecies, 16 such specimens on wich there were exclusively reversionarily valuable features (HORVÁTH, 1976) that is atavistic aberrations. This is not a subject of my present paper but is its beginning there fore I must refer to without doubt. Shortly only so much that the reversionary trend has shown itself in the gradually whitewashing that is becoming eclipse of the "jay-blue" colour of the so-cllaed "first seculum" wich appears in the troup of the monospecularis as well as of the bispecularis subspecies although not equal measurement. As it is known this "first speculum" is wholly white at the Garrulus lanceolatus species. However the lanceolatus species divers from the glandarius one not only of that the black patch of the wingbend was followed by a white one, than yet by the "jay-blue" "second speculum", opposite to the glandarius where is before the "jay-blue""first speculum", and only after it the white "second speculum" but also in that that the drawing of its tail and head wholly differs from those of the lanceolatus . Thus it must here look for the further atavistic features. In the case of the 351 specimens I did not find anything on the head and only in trace on the tail of such marks. This last named feature without my present investigations would not be scarcely qualify as atavistic since it belongs to the morphological characterisation of the Jay in generality but with some uncertainity . This uncertain and as atavistic is hardly qualifiable feature that at the Jay "in generality" the tail is not plain black that is not in all cases but on its base (supposedly only at very old specimens) there are some traces of the "jay-blue" s qua re band I ng . Since the tail of the lanceolatus species is in its full length conspicuously "jay-blue" the above mentioned "not general" feature of the common Jay (Garrulus glandarius) species has gave cause for suspicion of reversionary trend. In one of my earlier papers (HORVÁTH, 1976) I also refer to this on the basis of that the reversionary 16 specimens (out of 351 ones of investigation material at wich the "jay-blue" "first speculum" had some white washed tendency in a different scale) have shown in a better scala the "jay-blue" squarebanding of the base of their tail feathers. Then I did not go more because it might hit me the accusation that I endeavour reversionary value to the individual irregularities. However the new specimen in question (that got now to my hands) shows the lanceolatuscharacters of the rectrices in so large a scale that it refers many better to the direct relation between the two species (glandarius, lanceolatus) than all earlier (HORVÁTH, 1976) invetigated ones. The highest peculiarity of the reversionary trends - not only the morphological ones, and by far not at the birds - that out of the characteristic features of the ancestors in the earlier stadiums of the development of the species produces some ones in a lesser - "eclipsed" - degree. It is very rare a case, and so all the more remarkable when something very important mark appears in its original "strength" in one of the late descendants. (However, this is known with connection of human organs even mental fundamentals too.) Such case is this extraordinarilly interesting and precious Jay specimen (Garrulus glandarius Linnaeus, 1758., female, Glashütte, Sachsen, 9.10.1960, coll. SCHEINERT; inventory book number C. 42361) that arrived at my possession two day after finishing of my earlier investigations or rather when my finished paper was out of print. Its rectrices are very same as ones for the Himalayan lanceolatus species that is in their full length are conspicuously "jay-blue" even neither at the lanceolatus so conspicuous penultimate, striking, broad, black squareband and the light - fast white - tailend (last squareband) did not occur ! Having contact with this I must refer again to my earlier paper (HORVÁTH, 1976) wherein I wrote with connection the sometimes appearing, greater and smaller "jay-blue" squarebanding of the base of rectrices that it seems some coherence between the intensity of the squarebanding of the rectrices and the size of the "white speculum" (the "furst jay-blue speculum" whitewashed in a different scale) too. That is when is greater the atavistic, white wingpatch then the "jay-blue" patterned squarebanding of the rectrices is also more expressive consequently the two lanceolatusmarks become parallel stronger or weak. After such precedents I have turned with great interest to the investigation of the wing of my
