290 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



and pale fulvous, or brownish white ; wing less than 7.50. Hab. Central 

 America and Mexico, north to Mirador and Mazatlan, south to Panama. 



C. scapularis (Via.). Delattre's Woodpecker. 1 



Genus MELANERPES Swainson. (Page 280, pi. LXXXV., figs. 1-3.) 



Species. 



a 1 . Back, scapulars, and wing-coverts plain glossy blackish (grayish, indistinctly 

 barred with dusky in young of M. erythrocephalus"). 

 b 1 . Lower parts, rump, and upper tail-coverts white ; plumage of neck and 

 lower parts soft, blended ; wing less than 6.00. (Subgenus Melanerpes.) 

 c 1 . Adult male : "Whole head, neck, and chest uniform rich crimson, bordered 

 below, against white of breast, by black (this sometimes concealed) ; 

 wing-coverts, back, and scapulars glossy blue-black ; lower back, 

 rump, upper tail-coverts, lower parts, and whole exposed portion of 

 secondaries uniform, pure white, the belly usually tinged with orange 

 or reddish. Adult female : Similar to the male, but with inner secon- 

 daries more of less spotted, in transverse series, with black, and black 

 collar between white of breast and crimson of chest more conspicu- 

 ous. Young : Head, neck, and chest brownish gray, streaked with 

 dusky; secondaries crossed near ends by one or more black bands; 

 wing-coverts, scapulars, and back dull grayish, barred, with dusky. 

 Length about 9.25-9.75, wing 5.30-5.70, tail 3.60-3.75. Eggs .97 X 

 .75. Sab. Eastern United States, west to Eocky Mountains (occa- 

 sionally still farther westward) ; rare or casual east of Hudson Eiver. 

 406. M. erythrocephalus (Linn.). Bed-headed Woodpecker. 

 ' c 2 . Adult male : Upper parts in general, ear-coverts, and broad band across 

 chest, glossy greenish blue-black ; feathers round base of bill, 

 including chin and upper part of throat, dull black ; lower parts 

 generally, rump, tail-coverts, patch on base of primaries, forehead, 

 and thence to lower part of throat, white, the last more or less 

 tinged with sulphur-yellow (sometimes brightly of this color) ; 

 crown and occiput crimson-red. Adult female : Similar to the male, 

 but fore-part of crown glossy blue-black. Young : Similar to adults, 

 with same sexual difference in color of crown, but colors duller. 

 d 1 . "Width of white or yellow frontal patch and black crown-patch 

 in female together decidedly greater than width (longitudi- 

 nally) of red occipital patch ; white or yellow frontal band not 

 less than .30 wide ; wing averaging decidedly more than 5.50. 

 e 1 . Greater part, or whole, of chest streaked with white ; wing 

 5.30-5.90 (5.54), tail 3.10-3.60 (3.42), culmen, 1.10-1.22 

 (1.16). Hab. Central America and Southeastern Mexico, 



1 Picus scapularis Vig., Zool. Jour. iv. 1828-29, 354. 



