BEE-WSTER : BIRDS OF THE CAPE REGION, LOWER CALIFORNIA. 127 



Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus (Bonap.). 

 Yellow-headed Blackbird. 



Xanthocephalus icterocephalus Belding, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., V. 1883, 546 (San 



Jose del Cabo). 

 Xanthocejthalus xanthocephalus Bryant, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., 2d ser., II. 1889, 29-t 



(San Jose del Cabo). 



This Blackbird is known to occur in the Cape Region only in autumn, 

 winter, and early spring. At San Josd del Cabo Mr. Belding found it rare in 

 April, and Mr. Frazar noted it as not common in September and October. The 

 latter oliserver also met with a number of birds at Santiago in November and 

 a single individual at La Paz on February 15. 



Mr. Bryant does not mention seeing the Yellow-headed Blackbird in the 

 central or northern portions of Lower California, but cites Mr. Anthony as 

 authority for the statement that it is " very common along the coast during 

 migrations." It probably does not pass the summer anywhere on the Penin- 

 sula, for it is not known to breed south of Santa Barbara in California. It 

 migrates into western Mexico, at least as far to the southward as Mazatlan. 



Agelaius phoeniceus sonoriensis Ridqw. 



SoNORAN Red-wing. 



Agelaius Baird, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1859, 301, 305 (San Jose'). 



Agelaeus phoeniceus (not Oriolus phoeniceus Linnaeus) Belding, Proc. U. S. Nat. 



Mus., VL 1883, 350 (La Paz and s.). 

 Agelaius phoeniceus (not Oriolus phoeniceus Linnaeus) Bryant, Proc. Calif. Acad. 



Sci., 2d ser., IL 1889, 294 (San Jose' del Cabo). 



The form sonoriensis, as far as my material shows, is very distinctly char- 

 acterized, especially in the female, which differs markedly at all seasons from 

 the female of phoeniceus. The six specimens collected by Mr. Frazar agree 

 closely in size and general coloring with specimens from northwestern Mexico, 

 excepting that all three of my Lower California females have the capistrum, 

 throat, and breast strongly tinged with salmon pink, a peculiarity which I do 

 not find in Mexican birds. 



Mr. Frazar saw the first Sonoran Red-wings at San Jose' del Cabo on August 

 28, when an adult male was killed from a flock of about eighty. None were 

 observed afterwards until October 30, when two old males were seen flving 

 over the river. On November 4 two were shot from a flock of six, all of which 

 seemed to be young birds. At Santiago one was seen on November 15, and 

 five were noted on the 27th. Mr. Belding's mention of ^. •phoeniceus, as rare 

 i.i the "vicinity of La Paz and southward," doubtless relates to this form, 

 which is replaced by the closely allied subspecies neutralis in the northern 

 portions of the Peninsula, where A. tricolor and A. gubernator californicus have 

 also been found. 



