2 REVIEW OF THE GENUS XIPHOCOLAPTES RIDGWAY. 



It is also very likely that more material will show that several of the 

 forms now ranked as distinct species actually intergrade, thus being en- 

 titled only to trinomial instead of binomial appellations. 



Genus Xiphocolaptes Lesson. 



Xiphocolaptes Less., Rev. Zool., 1840,269 (type, Dendrocopus albicollisVmiLL.). — Cab. 



& Heine, Mus. Heiu., n, 1859, 35, 36.— Scl., Cat. Am. B., 1861, 16:?, 164 (excl. 



X.perrotii,= I >< ndrexetastes perrolU). — Scl. & Salv., Norn. Neotr., 1873, 68. 

 Dendrocolaptes (part) Lafk., Rev. et Mag. Zool., 1850, 98-104. 

 " Dendi rocopus Rchb., 1853 (nee Vieill., 1815)." 



Gen. Char. — Size, largest of the family, except genera Nasica* and 

 Drymornitf (total length about 11.00-13.00, wing 4.70-6.00); bill, from 

 rictus, nearly twice the length of the tarsus, slightly carved, much com- 

 pressed; tarsus longer than middle toe, the outer toe equal to the mid- 

 dle; wing longer than tail, third to sixth quill longest (fourth or fifth 

 a little longer than third and sixth), the primaries exceeding the sec- 

 ondaries by much less than length of tarsus ; tail graduated, the feathers 

 hard, with very rigid, sharp-pointed shafts. Color .- Reiniges and rec- 

 trices chestnut or cinnamon-rufous, the inner webs of longer primaries 

 tipped with dusky ; rest of plumage brownish (chiefly cinnamon-rufous 

 in X. major), the breast, etc., with more or less distinct streaks of paler, 

 the pileum and hind-neck (rarely the back) usually also streaked. 



The genera most nearly allied to Xiphocolaptes are Nasica Lesson, 

 Dendrexetastes Eyton,J and Dendrocolaptes Heermaun.§ They are all 

 readily distinguished, however, by the following characters : 

 a 1 . Bill much compressed, its width at gonydeal angle little if any more than half its 

 height at same place. 



h ] . Bill extremely long, its length from nostril more than twice the length of the 

 tarsus Nasica. 



b". Bill moderately long, its length from nostril less than one and a half times the 



length of the tarsus Xiphocolaptes. 



a" 2 . Bill not compressed, its width at gonydeal angle nearly equal to its height at same 

 place. 



b 1 . Bill from nostril longer than tarsus Dendrocolaptes. 



b-. Bill from nostril not longer than tarsus Dendrexetastes , 



Hab — Southern .Mexico to Argentine Republic, Paraguay, and Peru. 



key to species. 

 (Omitting those which I have not seen, excepting X. shnpliciceps Lafr.) 



a 1 . Back and scapulars brown, very different from the cinnamon-rufous or chestnut 

 of remiges and tail. 

 b l . Pileum and hind ueck streaked with paler. 



c 1 . Pileum aud hind neck sharply (though sometimes very narrowly) streaked, 

 the ground color more or less darker than the back. 



* Nasica Less., Traite, i, 1831, 311 (type, A", nasalis Less., =Dendrocolaptes longiros- 

 Iris Licht.). 



t Drymornis Eyton, Jardine's Contr. Oru., 1852, 23 (type, D. bridgesii Eyt.). 



t Dendrexetastes Eyt., Jardine's Contr. Oru., 1851, 76 (type, D. capitoides Eyt.,= 

 Dendrocolaptes temmincki Lafk.). 



$ Dendrocolaptes Heerm., Obs. Zool., 1804, 135 (type, Pieus certhia Bodd.). 



