BIRDS— riCIDAE — COLAPTES. 



117 



Section Colapteae. 



This section, formerly embracing but one genus additional to Colaptee, has recently had 

 three more added to it, by Bonaparte. The only United States representative, however, is 

 Colaptes. 



COLAPTES, Swainson. 



Colaptes, Swainson, ZooI. Jour. Ill, Dec. 1827, 353. (type C. aiiratus.) 

 Geopkos, Malherbe, Mem. Acad. Metz, 1849, 358. (G. campeslris.) 



Bill slender, depressed at the base, then compressed. Culmen much curved ; gonys straight, 

 both with acute ridges, and coming to quite a sharp point with the commissure at the end ; the 

 bill, consequently, not truncate at the end. No ridges on the bill. Nostrils basal, median, 

 oval, and exposed. Gonys very short ; about half the culmen. Feet large ; the anterior 

 outer toe considerably longer than the posterior. Tail long, exceeding the secondaries, the 

 feathers suddenly acuminate, with elongated points. 



The only two well defined species found within the limits of the United States are readily 

 characterized. They have, as the common character of Colaptes: the back transversely banded 

 with black and brownish ; the head and neck all round nearly uniform grayish or brownish, 

 with a short maxillary stripe, and with or without a nuchal patch ; a black crescent on the 

 breast, and the belly marked with round black spots. The most conspicuous features are as 

 follows : 



1. Maxillary stripe black ; a scarlet nuchal crescent ; shafts, and the under surfaces of 

 wing and tail feathers yellow C. auratus. 



2. Maxillary stripe red ; no nuchal crescent ; shafts, and the under surfaces of wing and 

 tail feathers brownish orange red C. mexicanus. 



A hybrid between the two occurs on the upper Missouri. 



Comparative measurements of species. 



