118 BULLETIlSr 50^ UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



more extensively and completely naked, tail relatively shorter (less 

 than half as long as wing), except in T. flavifrons ,"' sides, flanks, 

 under tail-coverts, and inner web of remiges conspicuously banded 

 with black or dusky and white, and plumage of throat and chest 

 not hair-like. 



Bill about as long as head, moderately stout to rather slender, its 

 width at middle of nostrils slightly greater than its depth at same 

 point; culm en straight terminally, more or less convex subbasally 

 or in middle portion, distinctly but not sharply ridged; gonys less 

 than twice (about one and a half times) as long as mandibular rami, 

 not distinctly ridged, except (sometimes) terminally; tip of bill 

 narrowly chisel-shaped; supranasal ridge distinct for about basal 

 half of maxilla. Nostril rather small, longitudinally oval or ovate, 

 situated about midway between culmen and tomium, more or less 

 covered by small antrorse, bristly-tipped, prefrontal feathers. Malar 

 apex with antrorse bristle-like feathers minute, the feathers of chin 

 without obvious bristly tips or else these very minute. Orbital region 

 extensively and completely naked. Wing rather long, with longest 

 primaries exceeding secondaries by more than length of culmen, the 

 seventh and eighth, or sixth, seventh, and eighth, primaries longest, 

 the ninth shorter than sixth (sometimes slightly shorter than fifth), 

 the tenth (outermost) about one-fourth as long as ninth. Tail less 

 than half as long as wing (except in T.Jlavifrons, in which it is slightly 

 more than half as long), the rectrices very rigid, the middle ones 

 short-acuminate (less so in T.Jlavifrons). Tarsus shorter than outer 

 hind toe with claw, rather stout; outer hind toe (without claw) 

 slightly but distinctly shorter than outer front toe (without claw). 



Coloration. — Plumage compact, that of back (that of chest and 

 breast also in T. rubrifrons and T. cruentatus) imbricated, that of 

 abdomen coarse and hair-like; above mostly black or blue-black, 

 the rump and upper tail-coverts white, the back sometimes with 

 white bars or streaked along median line with the same; abdomen 

 bright red; sides, flanks, and under tail-coverts conspicuously barred 

 or banded with black and pale yellowish or whitish; adult males with 

 red on crown (sometimes whole pileum and nape red), sometimes 

 with yellow on forehead or nape (or both) . 



Range. — Southeastern Mexico to southern Brazil, Paraguay, 

 BoUvia, and Peru. (Seven species. &) 



o In T. flavifrons the tail is but little more than half (decidedly less than three- 

 fifths) as long as wing, about the same as in Melanerpes crythrocephalus. 



& I have not seen T. hargitti Dubois {[Melanerpes] hargitti Dubois, Synop. Av., i, 

 1899, 68, pi. 2, fig. 2, of unknown locality), which, however, is said to be very 

 similar to T. cruentatus. 



