MELANEEPES. 421 



title for this bird ; but this decision has been questioned by Mr. Eidgway and by 

 Mr. Hargitt, who agree that it is more probably a synonym of the Jamaican Melanerpes 

 superciliaris, the locality Mexico having been wrongly assigned to the type. As this 

 type is not now forthcoming, it is not possible to settle the question, but nevertheless 

 we accept Mr. Ridgway's view. 



The next title available is Bonaparte's Centurus santacruzi ^, which was given to a 

 Guatemala bird obtained by Col. Velasquez in that country, and named after a 

 " Scientific Professor in Mexico." 



Taking the Guatemalan form as typical, we find that the red of the crown joins that 

 of the nape, where there is hardly any trace of the golden yellow along its lower 

 margin ; the transverse white bands of the back are narrow, the central rectrices have 

 ill-defined white marks on the inner web towards the base with a tendency to develop 

 into cross-bands, the under surface is dusky with an olive tinge, and the nasal feathers 

 and central abdomen orange-yellow. 



In the State of Vera Cruz most specimens resemble the type form ; but examples 

 from Playa Vicente and Sochiapa, and some, but not all, from Cuichapa, have the nasal 

 feathers and the abdomen red, and thus resemble M. dubius, except that the red is 

 not so pure. As birds from Teapa appear to be typical M. dubius, Playa Vicente and 

 places near are on the boundary between the ranges of M. santacruzi and M. dubius, 

 and they there apparently blend together. So, again, at Tampico there seems to be a 

 transition towards M. aarifrons, as birds from that district have rather wider white 

 bands on the back, the lower part of the nape is moi-e tinged with orange-yellow, 

 and the central rectrices have hardly any white at the base of their inner webs. 

 Tehuantepec birds are most divergent in having much more orange-yellow on the nape, 

 but in other respects resemble the typical Guatemalan form. In Honduras a form 

 occurs which, besides its small size, has very narrow white bands on the back and is 

 generally of a dark colour. This form, which appears to be variable where it is 

 found, Mr. Eidgway has separated as Centurus santacruzi pauper. With it Mr. Eidg- 

 way is inclined to associate a bird from Salvador, but which he says links M. santacruzi 

 with M. s. pauper. Our Salvador specimens are all females, and are only to be 

 distinguished, if at all, from M. santacruzi by the distinct white bars on the inner webs 

 of the central rectrices, a character showing a divergence towards M. hoffmanni. 



In Guatemala M. santacruzi is a common bird in the thinner woods of the hot and 

 temperate regions from near the sea-level to a height qf . at least 7000 feet in the 

 mountains. 



Mr. E. Owen found on 2nd June, 1860, a pair of this species which had a nest in 

 one of the high trees scattered over the plain of San Geronimo in Vera Paz (alt. 3000 

 feet), and secured one of the parents and four eggs, which were quite fresh, though 

 stained with spots of foreign matter. 



