MELANEEPES, 425 



sent by Bullock from the " maritime land " of Mexico. It was no doubt from the 

 western slope of the central highlands, as all subsequent records show that it is 

 strictly confined to Western Mexico from the State of Sinaloa to those of Guerrero 

 and Puebla. 



Grayson, who observed M. elegans at Mazatlan as well as at Guadalajara, Tepic, and 

 in Sonora, has some interesting notes concerning it. He says it is one of the commonest 

 species inhabiting the region of Mazatlan, and is noted for boring its nest in the giant 

 cactus {Cereus giganteus), in which, with wonderful perseverance and labour amid 

 innumerable sharp spines of this singular plant, it picks out a hole slanting down- 

 wards sufficiently ample for its nest. The entrance is just sufficiently large, but the 

 hole gradually widens as it descends to the depth of six or eight inches, where the eggs 

 are deposited on the bare wood. Both male and female work at the nest till finished. 

 The nest once made is used for some years, if not too much distorted by the growth of 

 the plant. This Woodpecker, however, does not confine itself to the cactus for 

 making its nest : the smooth trunk of the palm is also a favourite ; sometimes as 

 many as two or three nests may be seen in the stem of one palm. 



The eggs are generally three in number and of a transparent white. 



13. Melauerpes hypopolius. 



Picus hypopolius, Wagl. Isis, 1829, p. 514 \ 



Centurus hypopolius, Cab. J. f. Orn. 1863, p. 329^; Lawr. Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 35' ; 



Sumichrast, La Nat. v. p. 240 * ; Eidgw. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. iv. p. 113° ; Ferrari-Perez, 



Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. ix. p. 160'. 

 Melanerpes hypopolius, Hargitt, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xviii. p. 186 ''. 



Supra niger, dorso toto et alis albo transfasoiatis, uropygio albo nigro striato ; capite, eollo et corpore subtus 

 fusois, fronte pallidiore, pileo medio coccineo, oculorum ambitu nigro, ciliis albis, area infra oculos coccineo 

 lavata ; abdomine medio albo, imo et tectricibus subcandalibus albidis nigro transfasoiatis ; cauda nigra, 

 rectricibus mediis in pogonio interne ad basin albo fasciatis, rectricibus subexternis quoque fasciatis, 

 remigibus quatuor externis in pogonio externo omnino nigris, reliqnis ad basin albo fasciatis, subalaribus 

 albis nigro variegatis'; rostro et pedibus plumbeis. Long, tota circa 8"0, alse 5*0, caudse 3'3, rostri 

 a rictu 2-25, tarsi 0-8, dig. med. absque ungue 0-65, dig. ext. 0-6. (Descr. maris ex Epatlan, Mexico. 

 Mus. nostr.) 

 5 mari similis, sed pileo summo omnino fusco. 



Eab. Mexico {Wagler ^, le Strange), Tehuacan {Mus. Berol.^, Sumichrast % Tecuapan 

 {Mus. BeroU), Huehuetlan ^, Izucar de Matamoros ^, San Miguel Molino, Chietla, 

 San Bartolo, Epatlan {Ferrari-Perez), Chapulco {Sumichrast ^ % Sierra Madre del 

 Sur {Mrs. H. H. Smith). 



Melanerpes hypopolius was described by Wagler in 1829, from Mexican specimens 

 in the Berlin Museum i, which Dr. Cabanis since informs us were from Tehuacan and 

 Tecuapan in the State of Puebla 2. Our subsequent records of this bird show that it is 

 nearly restricted in its range to this State, though it is also found in that of Guerrero, 

 where Mrs. Herbert Smith secured a specimen in the Sierra Madre del Sur. 



BIOL. CENTE.-AMEE., Aves, Vol. II., March 1895. 54 



