404 PICID^. 



occurs anywhere within Mexican territory. Only one of our Chihuahua specimens 

 shows the red nape of C. auratus, otherwise it exactly resembles its fellows, and we are 

 not inclined to think that hybridization has had anything to do with its peculiarity. 



Full details of the habits of this species are given by Brewer, who describes the nest 

 as made usually in oak- or pine-trees, the eggs, as is universally the case in this family, 

 being pure white. 



2. Colaptes mexicanoides. 



Colaptes mexicanoides, Lafr. Rev. Zool. 1844, p. 42^ Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 137 ^ Salv. Cat. 

 Strickl. CoU. p. 400'; Allen, Bull. Am. Mus, N. H. iv. p. 21*; Salv. & Godm. Ibis, 1892, 



p. 327 '. 

 Colaptes rubricatus, Gray (nee Wagl.), Gen. Birds, ii. p. 446, t. Ill % 

 PicMS submexicanus, Sundev. Consp. Av. Pic. p. 72 . 

 Colaptes submesdcanus, Hargitt, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xviii. p. 21 '. 

 C. mexicano similis, sed supra capite summo et cervice postica Isete castaneis, dorso fasciis nigris latioribus 



notatis, dorso imo nigro guttato. Long, tota circa 11-0, alae 5-8, caudse 3-9, rostri a rictu 1-55. 

 $ stria malari castanea bene definita facile distinguenda. 



Eab. Guatemala^ Coban {Delatfre, Constancia % Tactic {0. S. & F. B. G.), El Kincon 

 in San Marcos, Ciupache, San Martin, Plain of Quezaltenango {W.B. Eichardson), 

 Quezaltenango and ridges above Totonicapam, Barranco de los Chocoyos^, 

 Calderas and Pajal Grande on Volcan de Fuego [0. S. & F. J). G.) ; Nicabagua, 

 Matagalpa {W. B. Eichardson^). 



This species entirely takes the place of C. mexicanus in Guatemala, and thence 

 southwards to Northern Nicaragua, It inhabits similar upland districts to those 

 frequented by the Mexican bird, seldom or never descending below an elevation of 

 5000 feet above sea-level, and occurring as high as 8000 or 9000 feet. Its favourite 

 woods are the evergreen-oaks and pines which occur at intervals all over the highland 

 districts. The occurrence of this bird in Nicaragua has only recently been made 

 known to us by Mr. Eichardson, who sent us a series of specimens from the neigh- 

 bourhood of Matagalpa, a district which forms the southern boundary of the highland 

 fauna of the mountains of Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and is also the 

 southern limit of true pines in Central America ^. 



It has been suggested that C. mexicanoides is not a definite species, but probably 

 blends with C. mexicanus *. A study of the mountain masses of the countries occupied 

 by the two birds, and the fact that both are upland species, at once show that it is very 

 unlikely that any such transitional forms exist ; for the range of the genus is com- 

 pletely interrupted at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which contains no suitable mountain 

 area to support such intermediate birds. Moreover, we are not aware that migration 

 of either species takes place between Mexico and Guatemala, nor do we believe that 

 any such movement occurs. Still the fact remains that the Oaxaca form of C. mexicanus 



