MELAXERPES. 4f<') 



335. Melanerpes cruentatus. 

 Little Black Woodpecker. 



Picits cnienfatus Bodd. Tabl. PI, Enl. p. 43, 178^3 (Cayenne). 

 Centitrus hirundinaceus Cab. in Schomb. Reis. Guian. iii. p. 714, 



1S4S. 

 Melanerpes cm.eiitatus Harsritt. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xviii. jx Ljo, 1S90; 



Bi-abounie & Chubb. B. S. Amer. i. p. 171, no. 1708. 1912. 



Adult male. Crenernl colour <j:losi-y Ijlack, iiiclinliiiM- the licail, 

 hack^ wings, tail, throat, ami breast ; a line behind the eye, rump, 

 and upper tail-coverts \Ahite with a yellowish tinge; a vellow 

 nuchal collar ; abdomen and a spot in the middle of the crown 

 red ; sides of the body, under tail-coverts, and under wing- 

 coverts white barred with black ; inner webs of flight-quills 

 spotted with white ; inner webs of middle tail-feathers fringed 

 with white towards the base. 



Total length 181 mm., culnien 2'). wing 113, tail 58, tarsus 18. 

 Adult female. Ditfers from the adult male only in the absence 

 of the red spot in the middle of the crown. Wing 111 mm. 



This species is not represented in the Mc( 'onnell collection, and 

 the descriptions are taken from specimens in the British ^Museum 

 collected by Whitely at Bartica and Takutu River — Hargitt col- 

 lection. 



Breedinp-season. Unknown in British Guiana. 

 jSest. '' It nests in holes in trees, but the nest is nearly always 

 inaccessible " (Schomhurok). 



Eggs. Undescribed from British Guiana. 



Hange in British Guiana. Demerara, Bartica, Kamarang Kiver, 

 Takutu River (Whitely). 



Extralimital Ramje. Cayenne (Boddaert), Brazil, Venezuela, 

 Colombia, Ecuador, Peru. Bolivia. 



Habits. According to Schomburgk (Reis. Guian. iii. j». 714) tin's 

 bird was distributed throughout British Guiana. It haunted isolated 

 trees and trees scorched bv forest-tires. It was usually met 

 will) in pairs, and one rarely found more than one pair on the 

 same tree ; if others attempted to intrude they were immediately 

 chased away under full cry. It made its nest in holes in trees, 

 but the nest was nearly always inaccessible. The " A\ arratis " call 

 it Palletutr. 



