68 University of California Publications in Zoology, [^ou 7 



(no. 462), which is geographically far removed from this race. 

 Altogether it does not seem to me expedient to consider such 

 variants as examples of picoidcus ; for these exceptional individ- 

 uals are, in some respects, more like typical harrisi than are the 

 majority of the birds of this region. Neither do I feel like giving 

 a new name to the Sitkan bird, for, as shown above, the charac- 

 ters that might be ascribed to it (of which the white underparts 

 and white-spotted lesser wing coverts are the most a-pparent) are 

 extremely unstable. 



Harris Woodpecker is quite generally distributed over south- 

 eastern Alaska, but apparently is nowhere very common. The 

 first was noted on Kuiu Island, April 30, though the species is 

 probably to be found in the region through the winter. 

 Hasselborg secured one at Freshwater Bay, Chichagof Island, 

 as late as November 2. Single individuals were seen at many 

 scattered points, but the only place where the species was even 

 fairly abundant was at the head of Marten Arm, Boca de Quadra, 

 where it was seen or heard dail3^ A fully fledged juvenal was 

 secured on Etolin Island, July 6, the first young one seen flying 

 about. It is rather curious that absolutely no Harris wood- 

 peckers were observed on the Taku River, the only point where 

 a form of the downy woodpecker was met with. 



Dryobates pubescens glacialis Grinnell. 

 Valdez Downy Woodpecker. 



Observed only along the Taku River. On September 4, the 

 only bright, sunny day we had at this point, they were active and 

 rather noisy, and five or six were seen flying about, calling and 

 rapping on the trees. In the rainy weather that followed they 

 were quiet and inconspicuous, and but very few were noticed. 



Two specimens were secured, an adult male, September 13 

 (no. 9733), and an immature male, September 4 (no. 9732). 

 They agree minutely with Grinnell 's characterization of Dryo- 

 bates pubescens glacialis (1910, p. 390) ; nor am I able to distin- 

 guish any differences on comparison with his specimens, except 

 that one of my birds (no. 9733) has somewhat heavier black 

 barring on the rectrices than has either of those from Prince 

 William Sound. 



