416 PICID^. 



Melanerpes pucherani, though belonging to the section of the genus with the back 

 barred with black and white, is aberrant, inasmuch as the whole of the abdomen, from 

 the breast downwards, is barred ; the lesser wing-coverts and the primaries externally 

 are spotless black ; and there are other points of difference. 



The species has a very wide range over the whole of our region from the Mexican 

 State of Vera Cruz southwards, and passes into Colombia and Western Ecuador. So 

 far as we know, it does not occur in Western Mexico or the part of Guatemala 

 bordering the Pacific Ocean, but keeps strictly to the denser forests of the low-lying 

 lands of the eastern side of the main mountain-range, not ascending the hills to any 

 great elevation. 



According to Fraser, who obtained specimens in Western Ecuador, the irides are 

 hazel. 



/3'. Corpus subtus unicolor, ventre imo et tectricihus suhcaudalihus tantum fasciatis. 



a". Capitis latus, circum oculos haud nigro notatus. 

 a'". Vrcypygium et tectrices supracaudales plerurtigue pure alU *. 



4. Melanerpes wagleri. 



Picus tricolor, Wagl. (necGm.), Isis, 1829, p. 512^. 



Centurus tricolor, Cab. J. f . Orn. 1862, p. 327 = ; Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1864, p. 367 ' ; Salv. P. Z. S. 



1867, p. 157 ^ 1870, p. 213'. 

 Melanerpes tricolor, Hargitt, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xviii. p. 174°. 

 Centurus suhelegans, Bp. Consp. Av. i. p. 119 (nee P. Z. S. 1837, p. 109) '; Scl. P.Z. S. 1856, 



p. 143'. 

 Centurus rubriventris, Lawr. (nee Sw.), Ann. Lye. N. Y. vii. p. 299 '. 



Supra niger, frequenter albo transfasciatus, pileo toto et nucha coocineis, fronte albida ad nares flavo tincta, 

 tectricibus supracaudalibus albis; capitis lateribus et corpore subtus sordide albis, abdomine medio 

 coccineo, hypochondriis imis et tectricibus subcaudalibus nigro transfasciatis ; alis nigris, albo guttatis et 

 fasciatis, remigibus externis ad basin tantum in pogonio extemo fasciatis ; cauda nigra, rectricibus sub- 

 externis ad apicem et mediis fere omnino albo distincte transfasciatis; rostro et pedibus plumbeis. Long, 

 tota circa 7'0, alse 4'2, caudae 2-1, rostri a rictu 1"2, tarsi 0*78, dig. med. absque ungue 0-67, dig. ext. 0'6. 



$ mari similis, sed pUeo toto sordide albido, nucha tantum coccinea. (Deser. maris et feminae ex lion HUl, 

 Panama. Mus. nostr.) 



Hah. Paiiama, David {Bridges ^), Cordillera de Tole *, Castillo ^, Chitra ^, Calovevora 5, 

 Santa Fe^ (Arce), Lion Hill (M^Leannan^ ^), Paraiso Station (Hughes). — Colombia ^ ; 



Venezuela ^. 



Wagler's name for this species cannot be retained. It was based upon a bird 

 supposed to be the Picus tricolor of Gmelin, a name applied to the Mexican 

 " Quauhchochopitli " of Hernandez ^, which, though probably a Melanerpes, cannot 

 now be recognized, but was certainly not the present bird. It is, no doubt, the 

 Centurus suhelegans of Bonaparte's ' Conspectus ; ' but, unfortunately, this name was first 



* In some island-specimens of M. duhius these parts are irregularly banded. 



