18 
ZOOLOGY. 
CENTURUS FLAVIVENTRIS, Swains .-Yellow-bellied Woodpecker. 
Centurus Jlaviventris, Sw. Two Cent & a Quart, p. 354.— Batrd, Gen. Rep. IX, 1858, 110. 
Sp. Ch. — Male. —Front and vent, 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 
Crissuin 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. 
FICUS SCALARIS, Wagler .—Barred Woodpecker. 
Picas scalaris, Wagler, Isis, 1829, p. 511.— Baird, Gen. Rep. IX, 1858, 94. 
Sp. Cii— Mule. —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 crissuin 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 6£ inches. 
Female. —Like the male, with the exception of the top of the head, which is entirely black. Length Cl 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. 
ORTYX TEXANUS, Lawrence .—Texian Partridge or Quail. 
Ortyx tcxanus, Lavvr. Ann. Lyc. N. Hist. N. Y. vol. YI, p. 1.— Baird, Gen. Rep. IX, 641. 
Sp. Ch — Male. —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 and 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 ash, white, and deep brown. Below the black throat baud is one of rufous. Breast and 
vent dull white, the feathers being crossed by broad curving bars of deep brown, almost black. Feathers of sides and Hanks 
rufous in their centre, margined on their edges with irregular white blotches partially encircled by broad bands of deep brown. 
Under parts of tail and wings pale lead color slightly mottled with gray. Under tail coverts rufous tipped with dull white, and 
with central arrow heads of deep brown. Bill black. Legs light brown. Length 8 inches. 
Female. —Chin dull white. Lores, throat, and line over the eye pale ochre. The rufous breast band of the male is replaced 
by a general rufous tinge. The transverse bars on breast and abdomen are less rich and numerous. Bill horn color above, 
lighter beneath. In all other respects like the male. Length ?ij 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. 
