2 I A. Anthony on the Genus Helcodytcs. |_ July 



pronounced in western San Diego County skins as those from 

 San Bernardino County (Cal.), Arizona, and New Mexico. As 

 far as the description of the rectrices is concerned it would seem 

 as if the type might very possibly have been one of the interme- 

 diate birds I have described, in which case the bird of the interior 

 would be eligible to a new name. Owing, however, to very 

 reasonable doubts as to its origin, it is probably better for the 

 present, at least, to recognize the name as it has stood. It will 

 be necessary, as has been proven by the series before me, to 

 reduce the heretofore species affi)ils to the rank of a subspecies 

 of br unneicaf illiis . 



Since the preceding was written a further series of Peninsula 

 specimens has been taken from San Quintin to San Fernando, 

 thus making an almost complete chain from San Diego to Cape 

 St. Lucas. The more southern skins, from 'San Fernando, are 

 rather nearer affinis than bryanti but are typical of neither. 

 Owing to lack of material I am unable to make a satisfactory 

 disposition of the Cactus Wrens from north of the boundary. 

 The series at hand points toward a race inhabiting the south- 

 western part of California, differing from the bird of Arizona, 

 New Mexico and Texas. It would be unwise, however, to 

 attempt to assign definite characters or habitat without much 

 more material than is at present accessible. 



Mr. Ridgway writes me that a series of skins from Guy mas, 

 Sonora, exhibit exactly the characters of my San Diego County 

 skins as regards tail markings — a more or less complete barring 

 on the inner webs — pointing toward an intergradation with the 

 Lower Californian forms along the Gulf Coast and border of the 

 United States. 



I am greatly indebted to Messrs. W. E. Bryant, F. Stephens 

 and William Brewster for the loan of valuable specimens used in 

 this connection, and also to Mr. R. Ridgway for notes on the 

 specimens in the National Museum Collection. 



