118 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



more extensively and completely naked, tail relatively shorter (less 

 than half as long as wing), except in T. fiavifrons,'^ sides, flanks, 

 under tail-coverts, and inner web of remiges conspicuously banded 

 with black or dusky and white, and plumage of throat and chest 

 not hair-like. 



BiU about as long as head, moderately stout to rather slender, its 

 width at middle of nostrils sKghtly greater than its depth at same 

 point; cuhnen straight terminally, more or less convex subbasally 

 or in middle portion, distinctly but not sharply ridged; gonys less 

 than twice (about one and a half times) as long as mandibular rami, 

 not distinctly ridged, except (sometimes) terminally; tip of bill 

 narrowly chisel-shaped; supranasal ridge distinct for about basal 

 half of maxilla. Nostril rather small, longitudirially oval or ovate, 

 situated about midway between cuhnen and tomium, more or less 

 covered by small antrorse, bristly-tipped, prefrontal feathers. Malar 

 apex with antrorse bristle-like feathers minute^ the feathers of chin 

 without obvious bristly tips or else these very minute. Orbital region 

 extensively and completely naked. Wing rather long, with longest 

 primaries exceeding secondaries by more than length of cuhnen, the 

 seventh and eighth, or sixth, seventh, and eighth, primaries longest, 

 the ninth shorter than sixth (sometimes shghtly shorter than fifth), 

 the tenth (outermost) about on.e-fourih as long as ninth. TaU less 

 than half as long as wing (except in T.jlavifrons, in which it is slightly 

 more than haK as long), the rectrices very rigid, the middle ones 

 short-acuminate (less so in T.jlavifrons). Tarsus shorter than outer 

 hind toe with claw, rather stout; outer hind toe (without claw) 

 slightly but distinctly shorter than outer front toe (without claw). 



Coloration. — Plumage compact, that of back (that of chest and 

 breast also in T. ruhrifrons and T. cruentatus) imbricated, that of 

 abdomen coarse and hair-like; above mostly black or blue-black, 

 the rmnp and upper tail-coverts white, the back sometimes with 

 white bars or streaked along median line with the same; abdomen 

 bright red; sides, flanks, and under tail-coverts conspicuously barred 

 or banded with black and palo yellowish or whitish; adult males with 

 red on crown (sometimes whole pileum and nape red), sometimes 

 with yellow on forehead or nape (or both). 



Range. — Southeastern Mexico to southern Brazil, Paraguay, 

 Bolivia, and Peru. (Seven species. ft) 



a In T. flavifrons the tail is but little more than half (decidedly less than three- 

 fifths) as long as wing, about the same as in Melanerpes erythrocephalus. 



6 I have not seen T. hargitti Dubois ([Melanerpes] hargitti Dubois, Synop. Av., i, 

 1899, 68, pi. 2, fig. 2, of unknown locality), which, however, is said to be very 

 similar to T. cruentatus. 



