COLAPTES. 405 
departs from the more typical form of the Valley of Mexico in the direction of 
C. mexicanoides. On the other hand, the latter bird is very uniform in its colora- 
tion, and practically no difference exists between specimens from Quezaltenango and 
Matagalpa. 
3. Colaptes chrysoides. 
Geopicus (Colaptes) chrysoides, Malh. Rev. Zool. 1852, p. 5531; Mon. Pic. ii. p- 261, t. 109°. 
Colaptes chrysoides, Reich. Scans. Picine, p. 413; Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. Birds, ii. p. 583°; 
Belding, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. vi. p. 344°; Hargitt, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xviii. p.- 16°; Allen, 
Bull. Am. Mus. N. H. iv. p. 21%. 
Supra vinaceo-cinnamomeo-fuscus, capite summo et cervice postica immaculatis, illo rufescentiore, dorso et 
scapularibus nigro transfasciatis, plumis singulis fascia subterminali altera discali nigra, dorso imo albo, 
tectricibus supracaudalibus albis nigro transfasciatis; capitis lateribus et gutture toto griseis vix cinna- 
momeo tinctis, stria malari utrinque coccinea; pectore plaga magna lunata nigra, abdomine toto et 
tectricibus subcaudalibus albidis, plumis singulis macula magna discali nigra, margine ultra eam cervino 
tincto; alis nigris, rhachidibus flavis, remigibus internis in pogonio externo albido indistincte notatis, 
remigibus subtus ad basin flavidis, subalaribus albidis nigro variegatis ; cauda nigra bitriente basali flava, 
rectrice utrinque subexterna in pogonio externo ad apicem flavo notato ; rostro et pedibus plumbeis. Long. 
tota circa 10-0, ale 5-6, caude rectr. med. 3°7, rectr. subext. 3-0, rectr. lat. 1:3, rostri a rictu 1:65, 
tarsi 1-1, dig. med. absque ungue 0-9, dig. ext. 0-8. (Descr. maris ex La Paz, Cal. inf. Mus. nostr.) 
mari similis, sed stria malari coccinea nulla. 
Hab. NortH America, S. California, Arizona, Lower California? 4.—Mexico, State of 
Sonora, Guaymas (Belding®), Hermosillo (Ferrari-Perez), La Cobrisa, Cedros, 
Ysleta in Sonora (W. Lloyd). 
In having the base of the tail and the shafts of the primaries and their inner webs 
yellow instead of red, C. chrysoides resembles the eastern C. awratus. On the other 
hand, the absence of a red nuchal patch and the presence of a red instead of a black 
malar stripe in the male are characters possessed in common with C. mevicanus. 
The range of C. chrysoides is much more limited than that of C. mexicanus, and is 
restricted to a narrow area, including Lower and Southern California, and the western 
side of the mountains of Mexico stretching towards the Gulf of California. The 
Mexican State of Sonora thus comes within its limits, but it hardly passes beyond into 
any of the adjoining States. 
Though its range, to some extent, overlaps that of C. mexicanus, we believe no 
intermingling of the two birds takes place, as is the case with C. mevicanus and 
C. auratus. | 
Xantus noted birds of this species breeding at Cape San Lucas, the nest being formed 
in the stems of Cereus giganteus, the giant cactus of the district 4. 
