PICID.E — THE WOODPECKERS. 557 



Centurvis aurifrons, (tFxay. 



YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKER. 



Piocs aurifrons, Waoleh, Isis, 1S29, 512. — Sundevall, C'onsp. Pic. 53. Centurus mtri- 

 frons, Gray, Genera. — Cabanls, Jour. 1862, 323. — Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 399. 

 Centurus flavivcntris, Swaixsox, Anim. in Meuag. 1838 (2^ centenaries), 354. — Bairii, 

 Birds N. Am. 1858, 110, pi. xlii. — Heermanx, P. R. Rep. X, c, 18. —Dresser, Ibis, 

 1865, 469 (resident in Texa.s). — Is. Rep. Me.x. Bound. 11, 5, pi. iv. Centurus degans, 

 Lawrence, Ann. N. Y. Lye. V, May, 1851, 116. Centurus santacruzi, Lawrence, 

 Ann. N. Y. Lye. V, 1851, 123 (not of Bonap.). Picus amatus. Less. Ker. Zool. 

 1839, 102. 



Sp. Char. Fourth and fifth quills nearly equal ; third a little shorter ; longer than the 

 fourth. Back banded tran.sver.sely with black and white ; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 pure white. Crown with a subquadrate spot of crimson, about half an inch wide and 

 long ; and separated from the gamboge-yellow at the base of the bill by dirty white, 

 from the orbit and occiput by brownish-ash. Nape half-way round the neck orange- 

 yellow. Under part generally, and sides of head, dirty white. Middle of belly gamboge- 

 yellow. Tail-feathers all entirely black, except the outer, which has some obscure bars 

 of white. Length about 9.50 ; wing, .5.00. Female without the red of the crown. 



Hab. Rio Grande region of the United States, south into Me.xico. Probably Arizona. 

 Localities : Orizaba (Scl. P. Z. S. 18G0, 252) ; Texas, south of San Antonio (Dresser, 

 Ibis, 1865, 409, resident). 



Young birds are not diflerent from adixlts, excejDt in sliowing indication of 

 dark shaft-lines beneatli, becoming broader behind on the sides. The yel- 

 low of the nape extends over the whole side of the liead. 



Habits. This beautiful Woodpecker is abundant tliroughout the valley 

 of the Piio Grande, from Eagle Pass to its mouth ; how iiir to the west within 

 our boundaries it occurs, I am not able to state. It is common throughout 

 Mexico, and was found in tlie Guatemalan collection of \'au Patten, tliough 

 not mentioned by Sclater and Salvin. Dr. Woodhouse, in his Report on the 

 zoology of Captain Sitgreaves's expedition, speaks of finding it quite abun- 

 dant in the neighborhood of San Antonio, Texas. He adds that we-st of the 

 Piio San I'edro he diil not meet with it. He speaks of it as having a loud, 

 sharp cry, which it utters as it flies from tree to tree. He observed it mostly 

 on the trunks of the mesquite {Algarohia), diligently searching in the usual 

 manner of Woodpeckers. In the Pteport upon the birds of the JMexican 

 Boundary Survey, it is mentioned by Mr. Clark as abundant on the Lower 

 Eio Grande, as very shy, and as keeping chiefly about the mesquite. Lieu- 

 tenant Couch speaks of it as very common throughout Tamaulipas. 



jMr. Dresser found the Yellow-bellied Woodpecker plentiful from the 

 Eio Grande to San Antonio, and as far nortli and east as tlie Guadaloupe, 

 after which he lost sight of it. Wherever the mesquite-trees were large, 

 there it was sure to be found, and very sjjaringiy elsewhere. Near San 

 Antonio it is quite common, but not so much so as the G. carolimis. At 

 Eagle Pass, however, it was the more abundant of tlie two. He found it 



