The type race of the species is now restricted in its distribution to the region from south-central Texas (Kerr County and the Chisos Mountains) to eastern and southern Mexico. It differs from the other races in the width of the white frontal band, the amount of streaking on the breast and sides, and the amount of yellow in the throat patch, as well as in size. It differs from bairdi and aculeata in having the chest mostly streaked, at least on the median portion, instead of mostly uniform black. The white frontal patch is broader than in angustifrons, and the black band across the female crown is much wider. It is slightly larger than aculeata, and somewhat smaller than bairdi but decidedly larger than angustifrons. Its throat patch is paler yellow than in bairdi and angustifrons.

I cannot find anything of consequence in print relating to the habits of the race, which probably do not differ materially from the habits of the species elsewhere. There are two sets of eggs in the Thayer collection, one of six and one of five eggs, taken in Tamaulipas, Mexico, on April 18 and 22, 1908; in each case the nest is said to have been 20 feet from the ground in a pine. The measurements of these 11 eggs average 26.47 by 19.00 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes measure 28.1 by 19.0, 26.7 by 19.3, 25.9 by 18.9 millimeters.

DISTRIBUTION

Range.—Western United States, Central America, and northwestern South America; nonmigratory.

On the Pacific coast the ant-eating woodpecker ranges through the Coast and Sierra Nevada ranges north to southwestern Oregon (Cow Creek and Ashland). In the interior it is found north to northern Arizona (Hualapai Mountain, Williams, and Grand Canyon); northern New Mexico (Largo Canyon and the headwaters of the Gallina River); and southwestern Texas (Fort Davis and Kerrville). From these regions the species is found south through both eastern and western Mexico (including Baja California) and other Central American countries, at least to central Colombia.

Several subspecies of this woodpecker are found only in Central and South America, but three varieties occur regularly in the United States, while two others are confined to Baja California. The true ant-eating woodpecker (B. f. formicivora), which ranges through eastern and southern Mexico, is found also in south-central Texas (Chisos Mountains and Kerrville). Mearns’s woodpecker (B. f. aculeata) occupies the range in Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas (Fort Davis) south through the Mexican States of Sonora, Chihuahua, and Durango. The California woodpecker (B. f. bairdi) is found in the Pacific coast region from Oregon south to northern Baja California. In this Mexican State the narrow-fronted woodpecker (B. f. angustifrons) is confined to the region of Cape San Lucas, while the San Pedro woodpecker (B. f. martirensis) is found in the northwestern part of the area nearly to the United States border.

BALANOSPHYRA FORMICIVORA BAIRDI (Ridgway)

CALIFORNIA WOODPECKER

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