112 



U. S. p. R. E. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ^ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



I am informed by Mr. Sclater, by letter, that Malherbe has recently described this species as 

 Zebrapiaiiskaupi. I have not been able to find this description, but it is subsequent to my 

 own. It is again indicated by Pucheran as Centurus hypopolins of Wagler ; but a comparison 

 with the description in Isis shows that this is not the case, as there is nothing corresponding to 

 the black superciliary streak there indicated. 



MELANERPES, Sw ins on. 



Melanerpes, Swainson, F. B. A. II, 1831, (type M. erythrocephalus.) 

 Melampicos, (section 3,) Malhkrbe, Mem. Ac. Metz, 1849, 365. 



Bill about equal to the head ; broader than high at the base, but becoming compressed imme- 

 diately anterior to the commencement of the gonys. Culmen and gonys with a moderately 

 decided angular ridge ; both decidedly curved from the very base. A rather prominent acute 

 ridge commences at the base of the mandible, a little below the ridge of the culmen, and pro- 

 ceeds but a short distance anterior to the nostrils, (about one-third of the way,) when it sinks 

 down, and the bill is then smooth. The lateral outlines are gently concave from the basal 

 two thirds ; then gently convex to the tip, which does not exhibit any abrupt bevelling. 

 Nostrils open, broadly oval ; not concealed by the feathers^ nor entirely basal. The outer pair 

 of toes equal. Wings long, broad ; third and fourth quills longest. Tail feathers broad. 

 The species all have the back black, without any spots or streaks anywhere. 

 The species of Melanerpes found in the United States all differ from each other very much in 

 color — thus, while the M. torquatus has a much more compressed and curved bill than M. erythro- 

 cephalus, the wings are much longer, reaching to within half an inch of the end of the tail ; 

 the entire under plumage has the fibrils etiffened and separated, except at the base — a feature 

 I have never seen in other species. M. formicivorus agrees again with torquatus in length of 

 wing, but the bill is even stouter than that of erythrocephalus. 

 The species may be distinguished as follows : 



Head and neck all round red ; rump and belly white ; a broad white band across the 



middle of the wing M. erythrocephalus. 



Crown red. Forehead and rump white. No white on the wings. Sides of head, chin, 

 and a broad pectoral band black. A collar on the throat, passing up in front of the 



eyes into the frontal band white, tinged with sulphur yellow M. formicivorus. 



Above greenish black. Forepart and sides of the head, with belly, red ; breast hoary 

 gray, extending round on the back of the neck , M. torquatus. 



