BREWSTEU : BIRDS OF THE CAPE liElilON, LOWER CALIFOUNIA. 105 



California, however, some of tbeiii among the foot bilk not far from the coast. 

 The form characteristic of California (S. ruber) is found in the northern part 

 of Lower California. 



Melanerpes angustifrons (Baird). 

 Xarrow-froxted Woodpecker. 



Melanerpes formich-onis Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1863, 328 part (crit.; 



Lower Calif.)- 

 Melanerpes fonuiciuorus, var. anc^ustifrons Baikd, in Cooper, Orn. Cal., 1870, 405, 



40t5 (orig. (lescr. ; type from Cape St. Lucas ; figures heads of male and 



female). Coues, Check List, 1873, 03, no. 310a. Baird, Brewer, and 



RiDGWAV, Hist. NT. Amer. Birds, II. 1874, 573, pi. 53, figs. 3, 4 (descr. ; crit. ; 



Cape St. Lucas). Jasper, Birds N. Amer., 1878, 178, pi. 117, tig. 13 (Cape 



St. Lucas). 

 [Melanerpes formicivorus] var. angustifrons CouES, Key N. Amer. Birds, 1872, 197 



(descr.; Cape St. Lucas). Dubois, Synop. Avium, fasc. I. 18'J'J, OS (Basse- 



Californie). 

 Melanerpes anjustifrons Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway, Hist. N. Amer. Birds, IL 



1874, pi. 58, figs. 3, 4. Hargitt, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., XVIII. 1890,153, 



1-54 (descr. ; Sierra de la Laguna; Triunfo). 

 Melanerpes formicivorus angustifrons Ridgway, Nom. N. Amer. Birds (Bull. U. S. 



Nat. Mus., no. 21), 1881, 35, 65, 75, no. 377a; Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., VL 



1883, 158, footnote (crit.; S. Lower Calif.). Coues, Check List, 2d ed., 1882, 



79, no. 455. Belding, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., V. 1883, 549 (Miraflores) ; VI. 



1883, 349 (Victoria Mts.). A. O. U., Check List, 1886, 216, no. 407 a. Bryant, 



Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., 2d ser., IT. 1889, 287 (Miraflores ; Victoria Mts.). 



Bendire, Life Hist. N. Amer. Birds, pt. II. 1895, 117 (Cape Region; gives 



Wm. Brewster's description of eggs from Sierra de la Laguna). 

 M-lelanerpesI f.[ormicivorus] angustifrons Bryant, Zoe, II. 1891, 198 (Victoria 



Mts.). CocES, Key N. Amer. Birds, 4th ed., 1894, 490 (descr.; Lower 



Calif.) 

 M.[elanerpes] formicivorus angustifrons Ridgway, Man. N. Amer. Birds, 2d ed., 



1896,291 (descr. ; s. portion of Lower Calif.). 

 [Melanerpes] angustifrons Sharpe, Hand-list, II. 1900, 209. 



The characters originally given to this species, although in my opinion suf- 

 ficiently pronounced and constant to separate it specifically from its nearest 

 allies, are subject to considerable variation within certain limits. Thus both 

 the white frontal band and the black band which, in the female, borders it 

 posteriorly, vary greatly in width. The white in a few of my specimens ex- 

 tends back as far as the anterior corner of the eye and the black is nearly twice 

 as wide (longitudinally) in some birds as in others, but the combined width of 

 the white and black does not appear ever to exceed the width of the red patch 

 on the crown and occiput, although in at least one of my examples it fully 

 equals it. None of my birds have the forehead "gamboge," but it is tinged 

 with citron yellow in many specimens ; in the majority it is soiled white. In 



