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AIPHOC'OLAPTES EMIGRAN3 .
XIPHOCOLAPTES EMIGRANS.
(NOETHEEN WOOD-HEWEE).
Xipliocolapte» emigran«
XipTiocolaptes albicollis
Scl. e t Salv. Ib is, 1859, p. 118.
Scl. Ca t. Am. Bird s, p . 103.
Cab. e t H e in . Mua. H ein . ii. p. 3(
Scl. P.Z.S . 1857, p. 2 0 2 , - r e r r . ; .
Olivaceo-brunneua, do rso inferio re alis e x tu s e t c auda to tá ru b ig in o so -ru fis: c ap itis e t colli su perioris pluma rum
racbidibus lineis albis n o ta t is : su b tiis olivaceo-brunneus, g u ttu r e medio a lb ican te ; g u ttu r is la te n b u s e t pe cto re albo
s trig a tis ; b ypocbondriis ru b ig in o so p e rfu s is : ro s tro a lb ican te , basi o b sc u rio re ; p e d ib u s obscure c om c is : long,
to ta 12-3, al® 5'5, caud® A6, r o s tr i a ric tu lin . dir. 2'3.
Ha b . Mexico racrid. Ja lap a , (S a llé ): Gu atemala, V e ra P a z , (S a lvin ).
Obs. Similis X . a llico lli, sed ro s tro majore albo, e t v e n tre n o n tran s fa sc ia to dignoscendus.
The first specimens o f this fine species transmitted to Europe, were, as far as we know,
those collected by M. Sallé in the vicinity o f Jalapa, as recorded b y Sclater, in one o f his
papers on Mexican Birds, published in the Zoological Society’s “ Proceedings’ for 1857, as
above quoted. Although recognizing its apparent distinctness from its southern ally, Sclater
hesitated to describe it at that period, and it was only upon receipt o f further specimens fi-om
Guatemala that he became convinced o f the necessity o f giving it a specific designation. This
was done in our joint article upon the Ornithology o f Central America, in the “ Ibis^ for 1859.
There can, indeed, be no question, upon comparing a series o f skins o f this bird and of
X alUcollis, o f their essential differences. A third species—X procerus, o f Venezuela, is intermediate
in character as in locality, but appears likemse different fi-om either o f its congeners.
Dm-ing Salvin’s later visits to Guatemala this bird was personally observed, and specimens of
it obtained on two occasions. The first was in December 1859, in the mountain-forest above the
village o f San Gerónimo, Vera Paz ; the second in March 1862, in the pine-ndges o f Poctun,
a village on the track leading from Vera Paz to Peten. On each occasion the bird was observed
on the trunks o f the larger frees, to which it clings just like a Woodpecker and ascends
rapidly to the summit. When pursued, it takes short flights o f about one hundred yards or so
to another tree, alighting on it near its base and again ascending to the top o f its stem, whence
another flight is taken. The species does not appear to he common, as none o f Salvm’s collectors
succeeded in obtaining specimen.? o f it.
Our figure o f this bird is taken from a Guatemalan skin in Sclater’s collection,—received
through the late Mr. G. U. Skinner.
D ece íiber , 18G7.