422 PICLD^. 



9. Melanerpes dubius. 



Picus carolinends, Cabot (nee Linn.)^ in Steph. Trav. in Yueatan, ii. p. 475 '. 



Picas dubius, Cabot, Pr. Bost. Soe. N. H. i. p. 164"; Bost. Journ. N. H. v. p. 91 '. 



Centurus dubius, Boucard, P. Z. S. 1883, p. 452*; Salv. Ibis, 1885, p. 192"; 1889, p. 369'; 



Stone, Pr. Ac. Phil. 1890, p. 206'. 

 Melanerpes dubius, Hargitt, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xviii. p. 172 '. 

 Centurus aurifrons dubius, Ridgw. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. iv. p. 108 '. 

 Centurus albifrons, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. is. p. 205 ". 

 Centurus leei, Ridgw. Pr. Biol. Soe. Wash. iii. p. 22". 

 Centurus dubius leei, Ridgw. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. viii. p. 575 ". 



M. santacrvzi similis, fronte antica ad nares et abdomine medio coccineis pileo concoloribus, nucha pure coccinea ; 



capitis lateribus et corpore subtus pallidioribus, rectricibus duabus mediis omnino nigris. Long, tota 9"0, 



alse 5*2, caudae 3-3, rostri a ricta 1-6, tarsi 0-85, dig. med. absque ungue 0-8, dig. ext. 0*75. 

 2 mari similis, sed pileo toto canescente ad nucbam saturatiore. (Descr. maris et feminse exizamal, Yucatan. 



Mus. Bostr.) 

 06s. Specimina ex Insula Cozumel ssepe differunt uropygio et tectricibus supracaudaUbus nigro faseiatis, nnde 



J/, leei, Eidgway. 



JIab. Mexico, Teapa in Tabasco {Mrs. H. H. Smith), Merida in Yucatan (Schott ^^), 

 Buctzotz, Temax, Izamal and Peto in N. Yucatan (Gaumer ^), Tunkas, Shkolak, 

 Tekanto, Labna (Stone % Tabi (F. D. G.), Cozumel I. {Benedict ^^ i^ Gaumer% 

 Meco I. {Gaumer^); British Honduras, Cayo, San Felipe, Rio Mopan, Belize 

 (Slancaneaux). 



Dr. S. Cabot, who accompanied Stephens in his travels in Yucatan, first noticed this 

 species ^ According to Dr. Gauraer it is found in all parts of Yucatan, where it is said 

 to do much damage to young cocoa-nuts by piercing them. It usually frequents the 

 cities and haciendas, but is not uncommon in the larger forests \ 



Dr. Gaumer procured us many specimens during his visit to the island of Cozumel. 

 These vary a good deal in the amount to which the rump and upper tail-coverts are 

 barred with black, upon which character Mr. Ridgway separated his Centurus leei. 

 The island-specimens show every gradation, from the pure white form like that of 

 the mainland to a distinctly-banded form which seems restricted to Cozumel. It 

 is, perhaps, significant that this tendency is in the direction of the Jamaican bird 

 M. superciliaris. 



The southern range of M. dubius reaches the western district of British Honduras, 

 and its western limits pass the State of Tabasco, where Mrs. H. H. Smith obtained 

 several specimens at Teapa, all of which are of the typical form of Northern Yucatan. 

 In the southern parts of the State of Vera Cruz M. dubius seems to pass into M. santa- 

 cruzi, as we find intermediate birds at Playa Vicente and its neighbourhood. Whether 

 the same state of things prevails to the south-westward of Tabasco we are unable to 

 say, as a large tract of country still remains unexplored in that direction. 



