BREWSTER: BIRDS OF THE CAPE REGION, LOWER CALIFORNIA. 199 
quently with apparently mature specimens taken in spring as with young 
in autumn, while it is not present in any of the young in juvenal plumage. 
Moreover, these crown spots are not “whitish” in any of my specimens, but 
always more or less rusty and often deep goldea brown. 
In respect to the size, shape, and distribution of the dark markings of 
the under parts, there is quite as much variation as in most conspicuously 
spotted birds. Some of the more heavily marked specimens, especially the 
autumnal ones with rich buffy abdomens and flanks, resemble the lighter 
colored examples of brunneicapillus very closely, but the difference in the tail 
markings of the two species is so pronounced and constant that it can be relied 
upon to separate birds of any age or plumage. I have had no opportunity, 
however, of testing the characters by which the form bryantz is said to be 
distinguishable from affnis. 
In the Cape Region proper the St. Lucas Cactus Wren is everywhere a common 
resident excepting on the higher mountains, where it appears to be wholly 
wanting. Its favorite haunts are the arid, cactus-grown plains near the coast 
and the almost equally barren and waterless foot-hills, but at San José del Cabo 
Mr. Frazar found it abundant in gardens and among shrubbery near or even 
directly over water. At this place birds were seen carrying sticks in their 
bills, apparently for the purpose of nest-building, as late as October 18, and 
the same thing was observed at Santiago about the middle of November. The 
sexual organs of the specimens killed at this time did not indicate, however, 
that any of them were breeding or about to breed. 
Until somewhat recently the St. Lucas Wren was supposed to be confined 
to the Cape Region, but in 1888 and 1889 Mr. Bryant ascertained that it is 
also very generally distributed throughout the central portion of the Penin- 
sula, Indeed he has reported its occurrence as far to the northward as San 
Quintin, but the birds of that locality have been since referred by Mr. Anthony 
to the closely allied H. 6. bryanti, which is said to be easily distinguishable 
from both brunneicapillus and affinis by the exceptionally heavy dark markings 
on its under parts, but which, in other respects, is “ practically intermediate” 
between these forms.! Mr. Anthony thinks that bryanti will be found to 
grade into affinis “ at a point at no great distance south of San Fernando,” ? and 
his material apparently establishes its complete intergradation with brunnet- 
captllus in the more eastern parts of southern California. 
Salpinctes obsoletus (Say). 
Rock Wren. 
Salpinctes obsoletus BAirD, Rev. Amer. Birds, pt. I. 1864, 110 (crit.; Cape St. Lucas). 
Savin and Gopman, Biol. Centr.-Amer., Aves, I. 1880, 71 (Cape St. Lucas). 
Bevpine, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., V. 1883, 585 (Cape Region). Bryant, Proc. 
Calif. Acad. Sci., 2d ser., II. 1889, 315 (Cape Region). 
1 Anthony, XI. 1894, 212. 2 Auk, XII. 1895, 280. 
