12 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



bb. Nostril much nearer to culmen than to commissure; culmen and commissure 

 slightly but distinctly deciirved; gonys but little longer than mandibular 

 rami; outermost primary more than half as long as ninth; larger (wing 70 

 mm.); no white or pale yellow on middle rectrices Nesoctites (p. 307). 



Genus COLAPTES Vigors. 



Colaptes Vigors, Trans. Linn. Soc, Lend., xiv, pt.iii, 1825,457. footnote. (Type, 



by original designation, Cuculus auratus Linnaeus.) 

 Cucupicus Lesson, Man. d'Orn., ii, 1828, 116. (Type, Cuculus auratus Linnaeus.) 

 Craugus<^ Billberg, Synop. Faunae Scand., i, part 2, 1828, tab. A. (Type, 



Cuculus auratus Linnaeus.) 



Eather large Picidse (wing 127-178 mm.) without any distinct 

 lateral ridge or groove on maxilla, tip of bill pointed (not chisel- 

 shaped), tarsus nearly as long as outer hind toe with claw, toes 

 relatively slender and claws weak, shafts of remiges and rectrices 

 bright yellow, orange, or red, back brown barred with black, under 

 parts whitish spotted with black and with a conspicuous jugular 

 crescentic patch of black, the adult males with a broad malar stripe 

 of black or red.^ 



Bill about as long as head, rather slender, slightly but distinctly 

 decurved terminally, rather broad and depressed basally, its tip 

 obtusely pointed (not wedge-shaped); culmen forming a distinct 

 ridge; gonys not longer (sometimes decidedly shorter) than mandib- 

 ular rami, straight or sometimes faintly concave, distinctly ridged, 

 its base sometimes slightly prominent; sides of maxilla without any 

 distinct ridge or groove. Nostril broadly oval or roundish, rather 

 large, concealed by a flattened tuft of small, bristle-like, antrorse 

 prefrontal feathers; no distinct rictal, prefrontal, premalar, nor 

 mental bristles. Orbits feathered, except a narrow space beneath 

 lower eyelid and immediately in front of eye. Wing rather long, 

 with longest primaries exceeding secondaries by about one-fourth the 

 length of wing; fifth or sixth primaries longest, the ninth shorter 

 than fourth (sometimes shorter than second), the tenth (outermost) 

 more than one-third as long as ninth. Tail about two-thirds as long 

 as wing, slightly graduated, the rectrices broad but abruptly acumi- 

 nate terminally. Tarsus equal to or longer than outer hind toe with 

 claw, but shorter than outer front toe with claw; the toes relatively 

 rather slender and claws rather weak. 



Coloration. — Shafts of remiges and of at least basal half of rectrices 

 bright yellow, orange, or red; back, wing-coverts, and secondaries 

 brownish barred with black; rump white (sometimes spotted with 

 black); pileum plain gray, brown, or rufescent; tliroat plain gray or 



o Kpauydf:, a woodpecker. 



b This diagnosis and the generic description which follows is based entirely on the 

 Nearctic species, the half dozen South American species which are usually referred 

 to Colaptes, being almost certainly distinct generically. (See p. 7.) 



