108 
U. S. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 
Section Centureae. 
The United States genera of this section are very similar to each other, and may be most 
easily distinguished by color, as follows : 
Centurus. — Back and wings banded transversely with black and white. Crown more or less 
red ; rest of head with under parts greyish, and with red or yellow tinge on the middle of the 
abdomen. Rump white. 
Melaneepes. — Upper parts uniform black, without bands, with or without a white rump ; 
variable beneath, but without transverse bands. 
CENTURUS, Swains on. 
Centurus, Sw. Class. Birds, II, 1837, 310, (type C. carolinus.) 
Zebrapicus, Malh. Mem. Acad. Metz, 1849, 360, (type C. carolinxis.) 
Bill about the length of the head, or a little longer ; decidedly compressed, except at the 
extreme base. A lateral ridge starting a little below the culmen at the base of the bill, and 
angular for half the length of the bill, then becoming obsolete, though traceable nearly to the 
tip. Culmen considerably curved from the base ; gonys nearly straight. Nostrils very broad, 
elliptical ; situated about midway on the side of the mandible, near the base ; partly concealed. 
Outer pairs of toes unequal ; the anterior toe longest. Wings long, broad ; third to fifth 
primaries equal and longest. Tail feathers rather narrow, stiffened. 
The species are all banded above transversely with black and white. The rump white. The 
head and under parts are brown. The belly with a red or yellow tinge. 
Tbe species of Centurus may be arranged as follows : 
A. Middle of belly red. 
Crown, nape, and behind the auriculars red. Forehead white, tinged with red. C. carolinus. 
B. Middle of belly yellow ; a square patch of red in the middle of the crown. 
Forehead yellow ; nuchal collar orange yellow ; a white band between the red of the 
crown and the yellow front. Bump white. Middle tail feathers black. — C. Jiaviventris. 
Entire upper parts of head and nape light brownish, except on the crown ; forehead 
rather purer. Bump banded with black. Middle tail feathers varied with white and 
black G. uropygialis. 
Comparative measurements. 
Stretch 
Its claw Rill 
alone, above. 
Along 
gape. 
Ci'iiuint '•aroliniH. 
6118 
6121 
9085 
6134 
4036 
6128 
9087 
Carlisle. Pa. 
Centurus flavin 
Leavenworth Q 
San Antonio, Tex.. $ 
Mexico ! Q 
Ringgold Barracks 
Matamoras, Mex... Q 
flavivcntris 
uinpygialis . 
Centurus 
do 
Centurus radiola 
Gila river... 
do 
do 
St. Domingo 
do 
Jamaica .... 
8.22 
8.90 
9.00 
9.20 
8.10 
8.50 
8.84 
10.06 
9.64 
9.03 
5.00 
5.24 
5.02 
5.00 
5.12 
5.00 
5.40 
4.82 
4.90 
3.52 
3.20 
3.54 
0.90 
0.90 
0.94 
0.38 
0.38 
0.82 
1.00 
0.99 
0 91 
1.04 
0.34 
0.40 
0.40 
0.36 
1.30 
1.26 
Fresh 
Skin . 
Skin . 
Skin . 
Skin . 
Skin . 
Fresh 
Skin . 
Skin . 
Skin . 
Skin . 
