18 ZOOLOGY. 



CENTURUS FLAVIVENTRIS, Swains .—Yellow-bellied Woodpecker. 



Centurus Jlavivenlris, Sw. Two Cent «& a Quart, p. 354. — Baird, Gen. Eep. IX, 1858, 110. 



Sp. Cn. — Male. — Front and vent, yellow. Collar on back of neck, orange yellow. A blood red patch on top of the head 

 Feathers between the front and red patch, grey, between red patch and orange collar, grayish elate. Under parts, pale ash 

 Crisaum and under tail coverts, marked with dusky arrow heads. Back and wings barred with white and black ; rump and upper 

 tail coverts, white. Tail, black, with the exception of the two outer feathers, which are barred with white on their outer veins 

 liill, black, Feet, light blue. Length 9^ inches. 



Female. — Like the male, but wanting the red patch on the head. Length, 9 inches. 



Not rare in Texas and frequenting abundantly the mezquite woods which cover portions of 

 the prairie in the vicinity of San Antonio. 



PIOUS SOALARIS, W a g 1 e r .—Barred Woodpecker. 



Piais scalaris, Wagler. Isis, 1829, p. 511. — Baird, Gen. Eep. IX, 1858, 94. 



Si'. Cn. — Mate. — Front dusky black. Top of the head black, interspersed with white spots tipped with red, the red tipa 

 forming a scarlet patch on the back of the head. A white line over the eye. Another from base of upper mandible running 

 down the cheek. A moustache from base of lower mandible runs down the neck joining the auriculars ; both moustache and 

 auriculars black. Back banded with black and white. Wings banded with seven bars formed by white spots on the outer vanes 

 of the feathers. Under parts dirty white, marked with oblong black spots on the sides of the breast, and rounded ones on the 

 sides and crissum. Lower tail coverts barred with black. Four central feathers of the tail black, the two outer ones black 

 banded with white, and the intermediate one having the outer vane and end margined with white. Bill blue black. Feet dusky. 

 Length 6} inches. 



Female. — Like the male, with the exception of the top of the head, which is entirely black. Length 6J inches. 



I observed this small woodpecker in the southernmost portion of California, and found it more 

 and more abundant as we advanced towards Texas, where it is common. 



ORTTX TEXANUS, Lawrence .— Texian Partridge or Quail. 



Orlyz tcxanus, Lawb. Ann. Lye. N. llist. N. V. vol. VI, p. 1. — Baird, Gen. Rep. IX, 641. 



Sp. Ch. — Male. — Lores white. Throat white, encircled by a black band which starts near base of upper mandible and becomes 

 broader in front of the neck. A white line over the eye, commencing at the nostril and running laterally on the neck, bordered 

 above by a narrow lioe of black. Crown dark brown, margined with gray and tinged with rufous. Feathers on lower part of 

 hind neck dull black, in central parts edged with white and tipped with reddish brown. The shoulders and upper portions of the 

 back chestnut, mottled with deep brown, bordered with ash; the rest of the upper parts light brown, becoming lead color on 

 the tail, the whole being mottled with ash, white, and deep brown. Below the black throat band is one of rufous. Breast and 

 vent dull white, the feathers being crossed by broad curving bars of deep brown, almost black. Feathers of sides and flanks 

 rufous in their centre, margined on their edges with irregular nbito blotches partially encircled by broad bands of deep brown. 

 Under parts of tail and wings pale lead color slightly mottled with gray. Under tail coverts rufous tipped with dull white, and 

 with central arrow heads of deep brown. Bill black. Legs light brown. Length 8 inches. 



Female. — Chin dull white. Lores, throat, and line over the eye pale ochre. The rufous breast band of the male is replaced 

 by a general rufous tinge. The transverse bars on breast and abdomen are less rich and numerous. Bill horn color above, 

 lighter beneath. In all other respects like the male. Length 7^ inches. 



This bird bears a close resemblance to the Ortyx virginianus, but the following differences may 

 at once be detected on comparing the two species : The 0. iexanus is smaller, the rufous color 

 of the brea.st is paler, but forms a more perfect band in the male specimen. The trausver.se bars 

 on abdomen are twice as broad as those of the 0. virginianus, while the rich chestnut tinge 

 forming the prevalent tint on the back of the latter is replaced in the 0. texanua by a light 

 brown and a more general ashy hue. 



