210 BULLETIN : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 



and restricted to the larger ends, where they are grouped in what is known aa 

 the " wreath pattern." 



In Lower California P. c. obscura seems to be practically confined to the Cape 

 Kegion, for to the northward Mr. Bryant has obtained only a single specimen 

 — " at San Julio, near Comondu, in March, 1888." It is also found in south- 

 ern and central California, as well as in southern Arizona and northwestern 

 Mexico. 



Polioptila plumbea (Baird). 



Plumbeous Gnatcatcher. 



Polioptila melanura Baird, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1859, 301 (Cape St. Lucas), 

 o04 (crit. ; Cape St. Lucas) ; Rev. Amer. Birds, pt. I. 1864, 67, 68 (descr. ; 

 crit. ; Cape St. Lucas). Baird, Brkwer, and Ridgway, Hist. N. Amer. 

 Birds, I. 1874, 81, 82 (descr. nest from Cape St. Lucas, birds abundant), 



Polioptila plumbea Belding, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., V. 1883, 535 (Cape Region), 547 

 (San Jose' del Cabo). Bryant, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., 2d ser., II. 1889, 318 

 (Cape St. Lucas; Cape Kegion). Townsend, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XIIL 

 1890, 137 (Cape St. Lucas ; La Paz). 



Of this Gnatcatcher, Mr. Frazar's collection contains only three males in 

 full plumage, all from La Paz, two taken in March, one in April. Two have 

 the lores mixed slightly with ashy. In the third the lores are wholly ashy 

 white, and there is a whitish spot a little above and behind the eye. All my 

 Lower California specimens seem to have shorter tails than the birds which 

 inhabit Arizona and Texas. 



Mr. Belding characterizes the Plumbeous Gnatcatcher as "very common," 

 and mentions seeing a brood of young just out of the nest on April 14, 1882. 

 Mr. Frazar met with it only at La Paz and San Jose del Cabo and not in any 

 numbers at either place. In fact, he is inclined to regard it as rather rare in 

 the Cape Region. Mr. Bryant " found it on Santa Margarita Island, and from 

 the west coast to the Gulf in about lat. 26° N." A little further to the north- 

 ward on the Peninsula, as well as in southern California, it is replaced by the 

 closely allied P. ■californica, but P. plumbea reappears in southern Arizona, 

 and is common throughout northwestern Mexico. 



Hylocichla us'tulata (Nutt.). 



Russet-backed Thrush. 



Mr. Frazar collected four males of this species on the Sierra de la Laguua in 

 May, two on the 4th, one on the 7th, and one on the 16th. He also obtained 

 a female at Triunfo on June 13th. All of these birds are typical ustulata (as 

 now restricted), and one of them (the specimen taken on May 7) is ultra- 

 typical of that form, having the under tail coverts and crissum heavily washed 



