402 PICIDA. 
— 
within our limits, all of them belonging to one section of the genus, and that of 
northern domicile. Of these three species, one (C. mexicanus) has a wide range in 
western North America and throughout the Mexican highlands, C. chrysoides is 
restricted to the countries bordering the Gulf of California, and C. mexicanoides to 
the uplands of Guatemala, Honduras, and Central Nicaragua. No member of the 
genus is found in Costa Rica, nor do we meet with it again till the Andes of 
Peru, Bolivia, and Chili are reached. Colaptes is unrepresented in the Valley of the 
Amazons, nor are any members of it found in Guiana or Venezuela. Two species 
occur in Eastern and Southern Brazil, and one of them as far south as Patagonia. All 
these southern birds differ rather materially from those of the north. 
In Colaptes the bill is curved, and has no distinct ridge running parallel to the 
culmen; the wing is pointed; the tarsus is longer than the outer toe (reversed); the 
shafts of the wing-primaries are brightly coloured, so also are the inner webs of the 
same feathers beneath, and the tail-feathers beneath for at least two-thirds of their 
length from the base. 
1. Colaptes mexicanus. 
Culaptes mexicanus, Sw. Phil. Mag. new ser. i. p. 440 (1827)*; Scl. P. Z. S. 1856, p. 8077; 1858, 
p. 805°; 1859, p. 867°; Dugés, La Nat. i. p. 189°; Baird, Brew., and Ridgw. N. Am. 
Birds, ii. p. 578°; Sumichrast, La Nat. v. p. 2407; Salv. Cat. Strickl. Coll. p. 400°; 
Ferrari-Perez, Pr. U.S. Nat. Mus. ix. p. 160°; Hargitt, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xviii. pp. 17”, 
* 568", 
Picus cafer, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 4317°*, . 
Colaptes cafer, Coues, Check-list N. Am. Birds, p. 218%; Herrera, La Nat. (2) 1. pp. 179%, 
822”; Stone, Pr. Ac. Phil. 1890, p. 214'°; Allen, Bull. Am. Mus. N. H. iv. p- 21 et seq.” 
Picus rubricatus, Wag]. Isis, 1829, p. 516". 
Colaptes rubricatus, Bp. P. Z. 8. 1837, p. 109”. 
Supra vinaceo-fuscus, pileo immaculato paulo rufescentiore, dorso et tectricibus alarum plumis omnibus nigro 
bifasciatis, dorso imo albo, tectricibus supracaudalibus longioribus albis nigro transfasciatis ; capite, cervicis 
lateribus et gutture griseis, stria malari coccinea, fascia magna pectorali lunata nigra, abdomine albicante, 
plumis omnibus macula magna discali nigra, hypochondriis imis et tectricibus subalaribus nigro fasciatis ; 
alis nigricantibus, extrorsum vinaceo-fusco maculatis, rhachidibus rubidis : subtus plerumque rubidis, sub- 
alaribus rosaceis nigro maculatis ; cauda bitriente basali rubida, apice nigra ; rectrice subexterna in pogonio 
externo nigro et rosaceo variegato; rostro et pedibus plumbeis. Long. tota circa 10-5, alee 6:2, caudee 
rectr. med. 4:0, rectr. subexterna 3°6, rectr. lat. 1:4, rostri a rictu 1°65, tarsi 1-15, 
ungue 0°9, dig. ext. 0°7. (Descr. maris ex Mexico Vall. Mus. nostr.) 
Q mari similis, stria malari coccinea nulla, sed cinnamomeo interdum irregulariter vix notata. 
dig. med. absque 
Hab. Western North America, from the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains to the 
Pacific, north to British Columbia °.—Mexico (7. Mann 8), Hermosillo in Sonora 
* We have no doubt Gmelin’s name applies to C. mexicanus, and is much older than it; but we are not 
prepared to call an American bird by the specific name of cafer—one suggested in complete ignorance of the 
true origin of the species. 
