BIRDS OF THE FAMILY PIGIBM. 461 



6. Celeus mentalis, Cassin. 



Celeus mentalis, Cassin, Proc. Acad., Philada., 1860, p. 13 

 Celeus squamatus, Lawrence, Sclater's Ibis, 1863, p. 184. 



PLATE LII. Figs. 2, 3. 



About the size of Celeus rufus, (Gm.) Third quill longest, bill rather short, occi- 

 pital feathers somewhat lengthened. Male with a large space on the throat bright 

 scarlet. This space begins nearly on a line with the commissure of the bill on each 

 side, covering the chin and throat, without being divided in the middle. Head and 

 upper parts of body dark cinnamon color, rather lighter on the rump and upper 

 coverts of the tail, and many feathers on the back and wings having circular and 

 crescent-shaped spots of black. Quills brownish black, barred with dark cinnamon • 

 tail brownish black, all the feathers barred with dull yellowish cinnamon color. 

 Under parts of body same color as the back, but lighter and with a yellowish shade 

 and having the black spots more numerous, every feather having semicircular and 

 crescent-shaped bands of black. Under wing coverts uniform dark cinnamon, not 

 spotted, auxiliaries dark cinnamon, with a few imperfect bands of deep black. Bill 

 ' bluish horn-color, under mandible lighter. Female similar to the male, but havin°- 

 no red space on the throat and the black spots on the under parts not so numerous. 

 Total length about 8 inches, wing 4f, tail If inches. 



Hob. — Near Turbo and on the Atrato River, New Granada. Discovered by Messrs. 

 William S. Wood, Jr. and Charles J. Wood, while attached to the expedition com- 

 manded by Lieut. N. Michler, U. S. Top. Eng., which surveyed a route for a ship- 

 canal across the Isthmus of Darien. Specimen in National Museum, Washington 

 Museum Academy, Philada., and collection of Mr. Geo. N. Lawrence, New York. 



Of this species I have seen only three specimens, which were brought from the 

 Atrato River by Lieut. Michler's Surveying Expedition, and one specimen received by 

 my friend Mr. Geo. N. Lawrence, of New York, from Panama. The male is easily 

 recognized by the scarlet patch on the throat, which is of the same shape, and gene- 

 rally resembling the same character in Sphyrapicus varius and nuclialis of the United 

 States. 



This bird does not intimately resemble any other species, unless it is C. Fraseri, 

 Malh., which I have not seen. It belongs strictly to the same subgeneric group as 

 C. rufus. The female of this species is described by Mr. Lawrence as above cited 

 and he points out with his usual great accuracy the distinguishing characters of this 

 species. 



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