12. MELANERPES. 169 



Adult male. Resembles M. sujierciliaris, but differs in being 

 smaller, and having very much less white on the plumage ; the 

 white on the base of the primaries broadly barred with black ; the 

 tail shorter and the central pair of feathers black, barred with 

 white, the black interspaces slightly narrower than the bars ; the 

 nasal plumes less red ; the posterior half of the face darker and 

 more of a drab ; the neck and chest vinous drab, the underparts 

 somewhat similar in colour and tinged with yellow, but very much 

 less so than M. siqjerciliaris. Total length 10-3 inches, culmen 1"4, 

 wing 5-33, tail 3'65, tarsus 09 ; toes (without claws) — outer ante- 

 rior 0-8, outer posterior 0"8, inner anterior 0-55, inner posterior 0'35. 



Adult female. Has no red on the crown, the anterior portion 

 being ashy drab, blending into the buffy-white frontal band, the 

 posterior part black with transverse markings of ashy grey ; the 

 occiput and nape (alone) being red. Total length 9'8 inches, cul- 

 men 1"32, wing 5, tail 3*6, tarsus 0'9, 



Hab. Abaco, Bahamas. 



18. Melanerpes nyeanus. 



Centunis nyeanus, Ridyw. Auk, iii. p. 336 (1886). 

 Melanerpes nyeiuus, Hidyio. Man. N. Amer. B. p. 292 (1887). 



Adult male. "Similar to C. superciliari.t (Temm.) of Cuba, but 

 much smaller, the white bars of upper parts and grey of lower 

 parts almost devoid of yellow tinge ; red of belly and black super- 

 ciliary spot more restricted, and outer webs of middle tail-feathers 

 without spots. Wing 5-20, tail 400, culmen 1-50, tarsus 0-92.'" 

 {ltid(/wai/). 



Hab. Watlings Island, Bahamas. 



19. Melanerpes caymanensis. 



Centurus caymanensis, Cori/, Auk, iii. pp. 499 & 502 (1886). 



Adult male. Differs from both of the Bahaman species, and also 

 from the Cuban M. superciUuris, in wanting the black patch above 

 and behind the posterior part of the eye, also in the black bars on 

 the upper i)arts being narrower, and the light bars drabby white ; 

 the nasal plumes slightly red ; the frontal band and the anterior 

 half of the face \)alc drab (not white) ; the whole of the underparts 

 brownish drab and less fulvescent. In the amount and distribution 

 of white on the wings and tail this species is much more closely 

 allied to the Bahaman species M. nyeauKS and M. blahU, but, ajiart 

 from the more important specific differences, it is less in size than 

 either of these. Total length 9-5 inches, culmen 1-25, wing 5-15, 

 tail 3-0, tarsus 0-92 ; toes (without claws) — outer anterior 0-82, 

 outer posterior 0-82, inner anterior 0-G, inner posterior 0-35. 



Adidt female. Has the crown smoky or dusky grey, the red being 

 confined to the occiput and nape. In other respects the sexes are 



