18 ZOOLOGY. 



CENTUEUS FL AVIVENTRIS, Swains .—Yellow-bellied Woodpecker. 



Centurus flaviventris, Sw. Two Cent & a Quart, p. 354. — Baird, Gen. Rep. IX, 1858, 110. 



Sp. Ch. — Male. — Front and Tent, yellow. Collar on back of neck, orange yellow. A blood red patch on top of the head. 

 Feathers between the front and red patch, grey, between red patch and orange collar, grayish slate. Under parts, pale ash 

 Crissum and under tail coverts, marked with dusky arrow heads. Back and wings barred with white and black ; rump and upper 

 tail coverts, white. Tail, black, with the exception of the two outer feathers, which are barred with white on their outer veins 

 Bill, black. Feet, light blue. Length 9^ inches. 



Female. — Like the male, but wanting the red patch on the head. Length, 9 inches. 



Not rare in Texas and frequenting abundantly the mezquite woods which cover portions of 

 the prairie in the vicinity of San Antonio. 



PIOUS SCALARIS, W a g 1 e r .—Barred Woodpecker. 



Picus scalaris, Wagler, Isis, 1829, p. 511. — Baird, Gen. Eep. IX, 1858, 94. 



Sp. Ch. — Male. — Front dusky black. Top of the head black, interspersed with white spots tipped with red, the red tips 

 forming a scarlet patch on the back of the head. A white line over the eye. Another from base of upper mandible running 

 down the cheek. A moustache from base of lower mandible runs down the neck joining the auriculars ; both moustache and 

 auriculars black. Back banded with black and white. Wings banded with seven bars formed by white spots on the outer vanes 

 of the feathers. Under parts dirty white, marked with oblong black spots on the sides of the breast, and rounded ones on the 

 sides and crissum Lower tail coverts barred with black. Four central feathers of the tail black, the two outer ones black 

 banded with white, and the intermediate one having the outer vane and end margined with white. Bill blue black. Feet dusky. 

 Length 6i inches. 



Female. — Like the male, with the exception of the top of the head, which is entirely black. Length 6 J inches. 



I observed this small woodpecker in the southernmost portion of California, and found it more 

 and more abundant as we advanced towards Texas, where it is common. 



OETYX TEXANUS, Lawrence ,— Texian Partridge or Quail. 



Orlyz tcxanus, Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Hist. N. Y. vol. VI, p. 1. — Baird, Gen. Eep. IX, 641. 



Sp. Ch — Mule. — Lores white. Throat white, encircled by a black band which starts near base of upper mandible and becomes 

 broader in front of the neck. A white line over the eye, commencing at the nostril aud running laterally on the neck, bordered 

 above by a narrow line of black. Crown dark brown, margined with gray and tinged with rufous. Feathers on lower part of 

 hind neck dull black, in central parts edged with white and tipped with reddish brown. The shoulders and upper portions of the 

 back chestnut, mottled with deep brown, bordered with ash; the rest of the upper parts light brown, becoming lead color on 

 the tail, the whole being mottled with :ish, while, and deep brown. Below the black throat band is one of tufuus. Breast aud 

 vent dull white, the feathers being crossed by broad curving bars (if deep brown, almost black. Feathers of sides aud flanks 

 rufous in their centre, margined on their edges with irregular white blotches partially encircled by broad bauds of deep brown. 

 Under parts of tail and wing.s pale lead color slightly mottled with gray. Under tail coverts rufous tipped with dull white, aud 

 with central arjdw heads of deep brown. Bill black. Legs light bniwa. Length 8 inches. 



fenuile.—Cbiu dull white. Lores, throat, aud line over the eye pale ochre. The rufous breast band of the male is replaced 

 by a general rufous tinge. The transver-se bars on breast and abdomen are less rich and numerous. Bill horn color above, 

 lighter beneath. In all other respects like the male. Length 7 J inches. 



This bird bears a close resemblance to the Ortyx virginianus, but the following differences may 

 at once be detected on comparing the two species : The 0. texanus is smaller, the rufous color 

 of the breast is paler, but forms a more perfect band in the male specimen. The transverse bars 

 on abdomen are twice as broad as those of the 0. virginianus, while the rich chestnut tinge 

 forming the prevalent tint on the back of the latter is replaced in the 0. texanus by a light 

 brown and a more general ashy hue. 



