Argentine Ornithology Volume Ii Part 4

(SCHULZ'S WOODp.e.c.k.e.r.)

+Phloeotomus schulzi+, _Cab. Journ. f. Orn._ 1883, p. 102. +Dryocopus atriventris+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 444 (?).

Under this t.i.tle Dr. Cabanis has shortly described a Woodp.e.c.k.e.r procured in Central Argentina by Herr Schulz. It is a diminutive form of _C.

pileatus_ of North America; and differs from that species in colour only in the following points:--The red crest is comparatively more developed and more pointed; the general colour is more intensely black; the white markings of _C. pileatus_ are present in _C. schulzi_, but the extent of the white on the underside of the wings and on the carpal joint is much less in the latter species. No dimensions are given.

Dr. Cabanis is of opinion that the bird from Mendoza described by Dr.

Burmeister as the young of _C. boiaei_ is referable to this new species.

250. DRYOCOPUS ERYTHROPS (Val.).

(RED-FACED WOODp.e.c.k.e.r.)

+Dryocopus erythrops+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 99; _White, P. Z.

S._ 1882, p. 617 (Misiones).

_Description._--Above black; crested head scarlet; broad line from front beneath the eye and down the neck white; malar patch scarlet: beneath, throat white, with black striations; breast black; belly white, transversely barred with black; under surface of wings white; bill plumbeous; feet black: whole length 130 inches, wing 75, tail 50. _Female_ similar, but anterior half of head black, and no scarlet malar patch.

_Hab._ Brazil.

White states that he "observed" a few specimens of this Brazilian species in the dense forests of Misiones; but its occurrence so far south requires confirmation. A more likely species of this genus to occur there would be _D. lineatus_, which has been found in Paraguay (_cf._ Berlepsch, J. f. O. 1887, p. 20).

251. PICUS MIXTUS, Bodd.

(VARIED WOODp.e.c.k.e.r.)

+Picus mixtus+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 99; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1878, p. 62 (Buenos Ayres); _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 617 (Catamarca); _Barrows, Auk_, 1884, p. 25 (Entrerios); _Withington, Ibis_, 1888, p. 467 (Lomas de Zamora).

_Description._--Above black, with regular white cross bars; head black, with narrow yellowish shaft-spots; a large patch behind the ear on each side of the neck white; feathers of the nape slightly pointed with rosy red: beneath white, with longitudinal black stripes; under surface of wings white, with black cross bars: whole length 60 inches, wing 35, tail 22. _Female_ similar, but head uniform black, and no red on the nape.

_Hab._ South Brazil and Argentina.

In the district of Buenos Ayres this little Woodp.e.c.k.e.r, the smallest of the Argentine species of the family, is usually called _Come-palo_ (Wood-eater) in the vernacular. It has all the habits characteristic of the true Woodp.e.c.k.e.rs, inhabiting the woods and perching vertically on the trees, where it is heard vigorously striking the bark to dislodge the lurking insects with its sharp beak. When disturbed it flits away with a shrill querulous cry, pa.s.sing to the nearest tree with a rapid undulating flight, and conceals itself by running round the bole to the opposite side. It excavates a straight hole in a rotten or decaying branch to breed in, and a common species of _Synallaxis_ (_Leptasthenura aegithaloides_) frequently makes use of its forsaken breeding-holes. The entire plumage in both s.e.xes is very dark, nearly black, densely and evenly marked with oblong white spots. The loose feathers of the crown are black tipped with scarlet, but in the female the one spot of bright colour is scarcely if at all perceptible.

White met with this Woodp.e.c.k.e.r near Cordova and in Catamarca, and Mr.

Barrows in Entrerios, where, however, though resident, it does not appear to be common.

252. PICUS CACTORUM, d'Orb. et Lafr.

(CACTUS WOODp.e.c.k.e.r.)

+Picus cactorum+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 99; _Salvin, Ibis_, 1880, p. 361 (Salta); _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 617 (Catamarca); _Barrows, Auk_, 1884, p. 25 (Gualeguaychu). +Dendrobates cactorum+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p. 445 (Catamarca).

_Description._--Above black; large blotch on the front and another on the nape dull white; small coronal spot scarlet; wings and tail black, with white cross bands; rump white, spotted with black: beneath buffy white, throat strongly tinged with orange; bill and feet black: whole length 68 inches, wing 41, tail 23. _Female_ similar, but without the red spot on the crown.

_Hab._ Bolivia and Northern Argentina.

Prof. Burmeister met with three specimens of this Woodp.e.c.k.e.r at Capellan, south-west of Catamarca. White obtained examples of both s.e.xes in Catamarca, and found it tolerably abundant in that province. "Three or four are usually observed together on a large cactus, but on being disturbed either take to another cactus or to the lofty branches of algaroba-trees."

In Entrerios Mr. Barrows tells us this species is more common than _P.

mixtus_, but abundant only on the Gualeguaychu, about twenty miles west of Concepcion.

253. CHLORONERPES AFFINIS (Wagl.).

(ALLIED WOODp.e.c.k.e.r.)

+Chloronerpes affinis+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 99; _White, P. Z.

S._ 1882, p. 617 (Salta).

_Description._--Above dull olive-green, with fine yellowish shaft-spots; wings and tail black, spotted with white; head black, bordered behind by a yellow nuchal collar, front of head with white shaft-spots, hinder half with scarlet ends to the feathers: beneath greyish white, with narrow black cross bands; under surface of wings white, barred with black: whole length 65 inches, wing 37, tail 24. _Female_ similar, but without any red on the nape.

_Hab._ Brazil.

White identified a pair of birds obtained at Campo Santo, in Salta, as belonging to this species, but his determination requires confirmation, as there are several forms of this genus nearly alike which require accurate discrimination.

254. CHLORONERPES FRONTALIS, Cab.

(RED-FRONTED WOODp.e.c.k.e.r.)

+Chloronerpes (Campias) frontalis+, _Cab. Journ. f. Orn._ 1883, p.

110.

_Description._--Like _C. maculifrons_ (Spix), but larger; red of head darker and broader, and without any golden-yellow border; beneath darker and more thickly cross-banded, with the bright bands narrower.

_Hab._ Tuc.u.man.

This little-known species is one of Herr Fritz Schulz's discoveries in the mountain-forests of Tuc.u.man.

255. CHLORONERPES AURULENTUS (Licht.).

(GOLD-BACKED WOODp.e.c.k.e.r.)

+Chloronerpes aurulentus+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 99; _White, P.

Z. S._ 1882, p. 617 (Misiones).

_Description._--Above olive-green, crown and malar stripe scarlet; sides of head slaty, with a yellowish line above and beneath; wings black, with transverse bars of rusty red; tail black: beneath greyish white, regularly barred across with black, throat yellow: whole length 80 inches, wing 48, tail 22. _Female_ similar, but only the nape scarlet, rest of cap like the back.

_Hab._ Brazil.

The occurrence of this Woodp.e.c.k.e.r in Argentina also rests upon White's authority. But as it is found in Paraguay (_cf._ Berlepsch, J. f. O.

1887, p. 120), it is very likely to extend into Misiones. White states that it is common in San Javier, and usually "seen singly in dead high trees."