566 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Mr. Eidgway saw a single individual of this species in the outskirts of 

 Salt Lake City, in July, 1869. 



Their eggs vary both in size and in shape, from a spherical to an oblong- 

 oval, the latter being the more usual. Their length varies from 1.10 to 1.15 

 inches, and their breadth from .80 to .90 of an inch. 



Melanerpes formicivorus, 



var. 



formicivorus, Bonap. 



CALIFORNIA WOODPECKER. 



Picus formicivorus, Swainson, Birds Mex. in Philos. Mag. I, 1827, 439 (Mexico). — Vigors, 

 Zool. Blossom, 1839, 23 (Monterey). — Nuttall, Man. I, 2d ed. 1840. Melanerpes 

 formicivorus, Bp. Conspectus, 1850, 115. — Heermann, J. A. N. Sc. Phil. 2d series, 

 II, 1853, 270. — Cassin, Ilhist. II, 1853, 11, pi. ii. —Newberry, Zool. Cal. & Oregon 

 Koute, 90, P. R. R. Surv. VI, 1857. — Baird, Birds N. Am. 1868, 114. — Sumi- 

 CHRAST, Mem. Bost. Soc. I, 1865, 562 (correcting an error of Sanssure). — Cassin, Pr. 

 A. N. S. 63, 328. — Heermann, P. R. R. X, 58 (nesting). — Baird, Rep. M. Bound. 

 II, Birds, 6. — ScLATER, Pr. Z. S. 1858, 305 (Oaxaca). — 1b. Ibis, 137 (Honduras).— 

 Cab. Jour. 1862, 322 (Costa Rica). — Coues, Pr. A. N. S. 1866, 55. — Cooper, Orn. 

 Cal. I, 1870, 403. Pirns melanopogon, Temminck, PL Color. IV, (1829 ?) pi. ccccli. 

 — Wagler, Isis, 1829, v, 515. — Sundevall, Consp. 51. 



Sp. Char. Fourth quill longest, third a little shorter. Above and on the anterior half 

 of the body, glossy bluish or greenish black ; the top of the head and a short occipital 



crest red. A white patch on the fore- 

 head, connecting with a broad crescen- 

 tic collar on the upper part of the neck 

 by a narrow isthmus, white tinged with 

 sulphur-yellow. Belly, rump, bases of 

 primaries, and inner edges of the outer 

 quills, white. Tail-feathers uniform 

 black. Female with the red confined 

 to the occipital crest, the rest replaced 

 by greenish-black ; tlie three patches 

 white, black, and red, very sharply de- 

 fined, and about equal. Length about 

 9.50 ; wing, 6.00 ; tail, 3.75. 



Hab. Pacific Coast region of the 

 United States and south ; in Northern 

 Mexico, eastward almost to the Gulf 

 of Mexico ; also on the Upper Rio 

 Grande ; south to Costa Rica. Locali- 

 ties : Oaxaca (Scl. P. Z. S. 1858, 305) ; 



Cordova (Sol. 1856, 307); Guatemala (Scl. Ibis, I, 137); Honduras (Scl. Cat. 341); 



Costa Rica (Cab. J. 1862, 322) ; W. Arizona (Coues, P. A. N. S. 1866, 55). 



In most specimens one or two red feathers may be detected in the black 

 of the breast just behind the sulphur-yellow crescent. The white of the 

 breast is streaked with black ; the posterior portion of the black of the 

 breast and anterior belly streaked with white. Tlie white of the wing only 

 shows externally as a patch at the base of the primaries. 



Melanerpes formmioriis. 



