500 



NUUTII AMKUICAN BIRDS. 



Mr. liidpway saw n single individual of this species in the outskirts of 

 Suit Lake City, in .hily, 18G'J. 



Tlieir eggs vary both in size and in shape, from a spiierical 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 .00 of an inch. 



Melanerpes formicivorus, var. formicivorus, Bonap. 



CALIFOBNIA WOODPBCKEB. 



Pieus formiciruruK, Swaixson, Birds Mex. in I'liilos. Mag. I, l"""', 439 (Moxico). — VinoRs, 

 Zool. lilossoin, ]8;J9, 23 (Moiit(ivy'). — NrTTAl.l., Miin. I, 2d cd. 1840. Milancrpcs 

 formicivorun, \\i: t'onspcctus, IS.'iO, 11,"). ~ Hkkumann, J. A. N. Si:. Pliil. 2d serios, 

 II, 18.')3, 27cl. — Cassin, Illust. II, 18,'.3, 11, |d. ii. — Nkwrkkuy, Znol. C'al. & Oregon 

 Koutc, yo, P. K. It. Siirv. VI, isr.7. — liAiiiK, Hirds N. Am. 1808, 114. — Sumi- 

 CIIKAST, Mem. Bust. .Soc. I, 180,'), ,'«t)2 (coi'ivotiiig an error of Saiissurc). — 1'a.ssi.v, I'r. 

 A. N. S. 03, 328. — IlKKliMANN, r, 1!. U. X, .''.8 (nesting). — Baiud, Kcp. M. Bound. 

 II, Birds, 6. — Sil,Ari;n, Br. Z. S. 1858, 305 (Oaxaoa). — In. Ibis, 137 (Honduras).— 

 C'An. .lour. 1802, 322 (Costa Hiea). — CorKs, I'r. A. N. S. 1806, 55. — Coofku, Om. 

 Cal. I, 1870, 403. J'iciis mcUiiiopmjim, Tkmmintk, I'i. Color. IV, (1829 () pi. ecccli. 

 ■ - WAiiLKK, Isis, 1829, V, 515. — lSrsi)i;vAM,, Consp. 51. 



Sp. Char. Fourth quill lonfro.st, liiinl n littlo shorter. Above and on the anterior half 

 of the body, glos.sy bluish or greenish black ; the top of the liead and a short occipital 



crest red. A wliite patch on the fore- 

 head, connectinif with a broad crescen- 

 tic collar on the upper part of the neck 

 liy a narrow isthmus, -white tinged with 

 sulphur-vellow. Belly, rtnup, bases of 

 primaries, and inner edges of the outer 

 quills, white. Tail-feathers uniform 

 black. Feniah," with the red conlined 

 to the occipital crest, the rest replaced 

 by <rreenish-black ; tlie three patches 

 white, black, and red, very sharply de- 

 fined, .ind about equal. Length about 

 9.50 ; wing, G.OO ; tail, ;i.7'). 



IIai). Pacific Co.ist region of the 

 United states and south ; in Northern 

 Mexico, oastw.ird almost to the Gulf 

 of Mexico ; also on the Upper Rio 

 Gr.ande; south to Costa Rica. Locali- 

 ties: Oax.ica (ScL. P. Z. S. 1858, 30a) ; 

 Cordova (Scl. ISuG, ,'307) ; Gu.itemala (Sui,. Ibis, I, 137) ; Honduras (Scl. Cat. 341) ; 

 Costa Rica (Cad. .L 1862, 322) ; AV. Arizona (Coues, P. A. N. S. 18GG, 55). 



In most specimens one or two red feath^irs 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. The white of the wing only 

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



Melanerpes formicicorus. 



