MELANERPES, ~ 419 
The widely separated white bars of the upper plumage, the pure white upper tail- 
coverts of the adult, and the wholly black exposed portion of the central rectrices 
distinguish this species. ‘The colour of the nape varies from golden yellow to orange 
and even red; the occipital spot is generally isolated, but sometimes almost confluent 
with the nuchal band. 
7. Melanerpes hoffmanni. 
Centurus hoffmanni, Cab. J. f. Orn. 1862, p. 3221; Lawr. Ann. Lyc. N. Y. ix. p. 1381’; v. Frant- 
: zius, J. f. Orn. 1869, p. 864°; Boucard, P.Z.S. 1878, p. 49*; Zeledon, An. Mus. Nac. 
Costa Rica, 1887, p. 124°; Cherrie, Auk, 1892, p. 327°. 
Melanerpes hoffmanni, Hargitt, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xviii. p. 181". 
Centurus aurifrons hoffmanni, Ridgw. Pr. U. 8. Nat. Mus. iv. p. 110°; v. p. 501°; Nutting, Pr. 
U.S. Nat. Mus. v. p. 899"; vi. pp. 875”, 387", 394. 
M. aurifront similis, sed multo minor, rostro breviore et magis arcuato ; corpore subtus fuscescentiore, remigibus 
externis ad basin albo vix transfasciatis, caude remigibus mediis in pogonio interno regulariter albo 
fasciatis. Long. tota circa 7:5, ale 4:5, caude 2:2, rostri a rictu 1:3, tarsi 0°83, dig. med. absque ungue 
0:8, dig. ext. 0°7. 
Q mari similis, pileo toto sordide cinereo, colore coccineo nullo. (Descr. maris et femine ex Punta Arenas, 
Costa Rica. Mus. nostr.). 
Hab. Nicaraaua, Leon (W. B. Richardson), San Juan del Sur 1!, Sucuya 12, Omotepe ! 
(Nutting) ; Costa Rica (Hoffmann, Ellendorf+), Punta Arenas (0. S), La Palma 
(Nutting °), San José (v. Frantzius?, M. J. Calleja, Carmiol?, Boucard *, Zeledon ®, 
Nutting °, Cherrie®), Cartago (Boucard*, Zeledon*®), Grecia (Carmiol?, v. Frantzius *), 
Alajuela (Zeledon °). 
Dr. Cabanis described this species from specimens sent to the Berlin Museum from 
Costa Rica by Dr. Hoffmann, to whom it was dedicated!. With the description 
Dr. Cabanis added a useful summary of the whole of the members of the genus, in 
which some valuable notes on their synonymy are to be found. 
The relationship of this species to UM. aurifrons is obvious, but the characters 
separating the two forms seem fairly constant and their respective ranges quite distinct, 
the intermediate country of Guatemala, Honduras, and Salvador being occupied by 
M. santacruzi, a bird which, again, differs in several points. 
M. hoffmanni is a common species in Costa Rica. It occurs at Punta Arenas, where 
Salvin secured some specimens and where M. Boucard also met with it*; and it is also 
found in the neighbourhood of San José, and to an altitude, according to Mr. Cherrie, 
of 6500 feet®. The last-named naturalist found two nests near San José of this Wood- 
pecker, one of which was 25 feet from the ground in an old rotton snag, and contained 
two fresh eggs: the other was only about three feet from the ground, in an old stump, 
and contained three fresh eggs; the entrance-hole to this nest was two inches in 
diameter, and there was no lining. ‘The eggs were glossy white, measuring about 
1:03 x0°7 inch. 
53* 
