384 ; BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



SUBGENUS Centurus SWAINSON. 



Centurus SWAINS. Classif. B. ii, 1837, 310. Type, Picus carolinus LINN. 



GEN. CHAE. Bill about as long as the head, or a little longer, the length from the tip 

 to the nostril about equal to the tarsus, or a little greater; decidedly compressed anteri- 

 orly, but depressed at the extreme base; the lateral groove distinct for half the length of 

 the bill; culmeu decidedly biit gently curved from the base; gonys nearly straight, and 

 about half as long as the culmm. Nostrils broad, elliptical, situated about midway be- 

 tween the culmen and tomium, and only partly concealed by the frontal tufts. Anterior 

 outer toe a little longer than the posterior, the inner anterior toe decidedly shorter, and 

 the inner hind toe only about half its length. Wings long and broad, third to fifth pri- 

 maries longest, the first equal to the sixth to the ninth. Tail about two thirds as long as 

 Ihe wing, graduated, the feathers (except the outer) rather abruptly attenuated at ends. 

 Colors, banded with black and white, or yellow, above, with more or less of the pileum 

 scarlet in the male; below plain, the abdomen tinged with red, orange, or yellow in most 

 species. 



While only one species of Centurus occurs in eastern North 

 America, two others are found along our southwestern border: 

 C. aurlfrons in southern Texas, and C. uropygialis in southern New 

 Mexico and Arizona. Other species belong to Mexico, Central 

 America, Cuba, Hayti, and Jamaica. 



Melanerpes carolinus (Linn.) 



RED BELLIED WOODPECKEE. 



Popular synonyms. Carolina Woodpecker; Checkered Woodpecker; Wood Chuck ; 

 Zebra Woodpecker. 



Picus carolinus LINN. S. N. ed. 10, i, 1758. 113; ed. 12, i, 1766, 174. WILS. Am. Orn. i, 

 1808, 115, pi. 7, fig. 2.-NUTT. Man. i, 1832, 572. AUD. Orn. Biog. v, 1839, 1C9, pi. 415; 

 Synop. 1839, 183; B. Am. iv,1842, 270, pi. 270. 



Ceniurus carolinus BP. 1838. BAIED.B. N. Am. 1858,109; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859,No. 91. 

 COUES, Key. 1872, 196; Check List, 1874, No. 306;2ded.l882,No. 450; B. N. W. 1874,289. 

 B. B. & E. Hist. N. Am. B. ii,1874, 289. KIDGW. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 372. 

 Melanerpes (Centurus) caroliuus KIDGW. Ann. Lye. N. Y. Jan. 1874,378. 



HAS. Eastern United States, rare northward, but occurring accidentally as far as 

 Massachusetts; west, sparingly, to eastern base of Rocky Mountains, and south Lo 

 Florida and eastern Texas (except Kio Grande Valley). 



SP. CHAE. Adult male. Entire pileum and nape bright scarlet, deepest on the crown, 

 the forehead lighter, or more pinkish (sometimes approaching reddish white); rest of thtj 

 head and neck with lower parts, pale buff-grayish, lighter on the chin and throat; middle 

 of the abdomen pinkish red, the remainder of the lower parts sometimes tinged with the 

 same, especially on the breast and cheeks; tibiae and crissu in white, relieved by rather 

 sparse hastate marks of black. Back scapulars and upper part of rump broadly and dis- 

 tinctly barred with black and white, the two colors in about equal proportion, or the blade 

 bars rather the wider; wings black, the coverts and secondaries barred with pure white; 

 primaries tipped with white.uarrowly margined with the same beyond their emargiuations 

 and blotched with white near the base ; upper tail-coverts and lower part of rump white.re- 

 lieved by rather sparse irregularly hastate spots or bars of black, the coverts sometime 



