404 PICIDZ. 
occurs anywhere within Mexican territory. Only one of our Chihuahua specimens 
shows the red nape of C. auratus, otherwise it exactly resembles its fellows, and we are 
not inclined to think that hybridization has had anything to do with its peculiarity. 
Full details of the habits of this species are given by Brewer, who describes the nest 
as made usually in oak- or pine-trees, the eggs, as is universally the case in this family, 
being pure white. | 
2. Colaptes mexicanoides. 
Colaptes mexicanoides, Lafr. Rev. Zool. 1844, p. 42'; Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 1877; Salv. Cat. 
Strickl. Coll. p. 400°; Allen, Bull. Am. Mus. N. H. iv. p. 214; Salv. & Godm. Ibis, 1892, 
p-. 827°. 
Colaptes rubricatus, Gray (nec Wagl.), Gen. Birds, ii. p. 446, t. 111°. 
Picus submexicanus, Sundev. Consp. Av. Pic. p. 727. 
Colapies submexicanus, Hargitt, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xviii. p. 21°. 
C. mewicano similis, sed supra capite summo et cervice postica lete castaneis, dorso fasciis nigris latioribus 
notatis, dorso imo nigro guttato. Long. tota circa 11-0, ale 5:8, caude 3:9, rostri a rictu 1°55. 
_ & stria malari castanea bene definita facile distinguenda. 
Hab. Guatemata’, Coban (Delattre, Constancia*), Tactic (0. 8S. & F. D. G.), El Rincon 
in San Marcos, Ciupaché, San Martin, Plain of Quezaltenango (W. B. Richardson), 
Quezaltenango and ridges above Totonicapam, Barranco de los Chocoyos 2, 
Calderas and Pajal Grande on Volcan de Fuego (0. 8. & F. D. G.); Nicaragua, 
Matagalpa (W. B. Richardson ®). 
This species entirely takes the place of C. mexicanus in Guatemala, and thence 
southwards to Northern Nicaragua. It inhabits similar upland districts to those 
frequented by the Mexican bird, seldom or never descending below an elevation of 
5000 feet above sea-level, and occurring as high as 8000 or 9000 feet. Its favourite 
woods are the evergreen-oaks and pines which occur at intervals all over the highland 
districts. ‘The occurrence of this bird in Nicaragua has only recently been made 
known to us by Mr. Richardson, who sent us a series of specimens from the neigh- 
bourhood of Matagalpa, a district which forms the southern boundary of the highland 
fauna of the mountains of Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and is also the 
southern limit of true pines in Central America 5. 
It has been suggested that C. mewricanoides is not a definite species, but probably 
blends with C. mexicanus*. A study of the mountain masses of the countries occupied 
by the two birds, and the fact that both are upland species, at once show that it is very 
unlikely that any such transitional forms exist; for the range of the genus is com- 
pletely interrupted at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which contains no suitable mountain 
area to support such intermediate birds. Moreover, we are not aware that migration 
of either species takes place between Mexico and Guatemala, nor do we believe that 
any such movement occurs. Still the fact remains that the Oaxaca form of C. mexicanus 
