BREWSTER: BIRDS OF THE CAPE REGION, LOWER CALIFORNIA. 107 



probably augmented by large numbers of winter visitors from La Laguna, 

 where Mr. Frazar found only a few birds lingering in late November and early 

 December. Along the road between San Jose del Cabo and Miruflores it was 

 seen in considerable numbers on November 15, and three were observed in 

 some evergreen oaks at Santiago on November 23. 



This Woodpecker, like its near allies M. formicivorus and M. f. bairdi, has 

 the habit of storing acorns in boles which it pecks for their reception in the 

 trunks of trees. On the Sierra de la Laguna Mr. Frazar found "'many dead 

 pines literally stuflFed full of acorns." 



M. f. bairdi, the form found throughout California, passes the southern 

 boundary of that State and ranges as far south on the Peninsula as San Pedro 

 Martir, where it is not very numerously represented but " probably resident." ^ 



Melanerpes uropygialis (Baird). 

 Gila Woodpecker. 



Centunis uropygialis Baird, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pliila., 1859, ."01, 302 (Cape 



St. Lucas). Belding, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., V. 1883, 543 (Cape Region) ; 



VL 1883, 345 (Cape Region). 

 Melanerpes uropygialis Bryant, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., 2d ser., II. 1889, 287 (Cape 



Region). Townsend, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XIIL 1890, 137 (Cape St. 



Lucas; La Paz). Bendire, Life Hist. N. Amer. Birds, pt. II. 1895,127 



(vicinity of Cape St. Lucas). 



My numerous Lower Ciilifornia specimens of this Woodpecker do not appear 

 to differ from those which I have received from Arizona and northern Mexico. 



Individual variations: — Males. The red of the crown varies from deep 

 crini.son to orange chrome, hut its distribution is very uniform. The width of 

 the dark bars on the back, rump, wing.s, etc., is highly variable ; all my speci- 

 mens have the rump and itpper tail coverts distinctly barred. The color of the 

 head, neck, and under parts varies from hair brown to buffy drab, the yellow of 

 the belly fronr pale maize yellow to deep cadmium orange. Usually the yellow 

 forms a broad, conspicuous patch, but in a few specimens it is faint and re- 

 stricted. Several of the spring specimens are more or less stained with umber 

 brown on the wings, tail, and under parts. 



Females. In respect to the yellow of the belly, the brown of the head and 

 under parts, the width of the dark barring, and the staining of the wing.s, tail, 

 and breast, the females vary much as do the males. Most of them have the 

 forehead lighter than the rest of the head and in a few it is pure light buff. 

 One bird has the auriculars, on one side of the head only, decidedly buffy in con- 

 trast with the color of the rest of the head. Two birds (No. 17,355, Santiago, 

 November 25, and No. 11,404, Triunfo, December 12, 1887), both in fiUl 

 autumn plumage, show traces of red on the crown, one having a single crimson- 

 tipped feather; the other, two feathers crimson nearly to their bases. 



1 Anthony, Zoe, IV. 1893, 236. 



