riClD.E — THE WUODPECKEUS. 573 



Melanerpes formicivorus, var. angustifrons, Tiaikd. 



THE NASBOW-FBONTED WOODFECKBB. 



Melanerpes formicii'crus, var. anfjusHfrons, Baird, Cooper, Oru. Cal. I, 1S70, 40'*. 



Sp. Char. Compared with M. formiciconis, the size is smaller. The lij^ht frontal bar is 

 much narrower; in the female searcely more than half the blaek one behind it, and not 

 reachinj^ anythinfr like as far back as the anterior border of the eyr. instead of cxceedintr 

 this limit. The li'rht frontal and the black bars together are only about two thirds the 

 length of the occipital red, instead of exceedini^ it in length: the red jiatch reaches for- 

 ward nearly or quite to the posterior border of the eye, instead of falling a eonsiderabl»> 

 distance behind it, and being much broader i)osteriorly. The frontal band too is gamboge- 

 yellow, much like the throat, and not white ; the connection with the yellow throat-patch 

 much broader. The white upper tail-coverts show a tendency to a black edge. Length, 

 8.00 ; wing, 5.20 ; tail, 3.20. 



IIab. Cape St. Lucas. 



As the diflerences meiiticned are constant, we consider the Cape St. Lucas 

 bird as forming at least a permanent variety, and indicate it as above. A 

 single specimen from the Sierra ^ladre, of Colima, is very" simiLtr. 



Habits. We have no information as to the habits of this sinuid.iv race 

 of the M.fonnici'ronfs,iom\d at Cape St. Lucas by Mr. John Xantiis. It 

 will be an interestinu' matter for invest i'^ation to ascertain to what extent 

 the totally different character of the region in which this bird is met with 

 from those in whicli tlie M. formicivorus is found, may have modified its 

 habits and its manner of life. 



Section COLAPTE^. 



This section, formerly embracing but one genus additional to Colaj^tes, has 

 recently had three more added to it by Bonaparte. The only L'nited States 

 representative, however, is Colajites. 



Gexus COLAFTIiS, Swatnson. 



Co7aptc.% SwAixsoN, Zool. Jour. Ill, Dec. 1827, 353. (Type, Cucuhis mnmti's^ Linx.) 

 Geopicos, Malherbe, Mem. Aoad. Metz, 1849, 358. {G. campcstris.) 



Gen. Char. Bill slender, depressed at the base, then compressed. Culmen much 

 curved, gonys straight ; l)oth with acute ridges, and coming to quite a sharp point with 

 the commissure at the end ; the bill, consequently, not truncate at the end. Xo 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 tlian the posterior. 

 Tail long, exceeding the secondaries ; the feathers suddenly acuminate, with elongated 

 points. , 



