Form. Short and compact; bill moderate, strong; upper mandible with the ridge (or culmen) very distinct, and short ridges over the apertures of the nostrils; wing rather long; third primary longest; tail moderate, graduated, with all its feathers somewhat rigid; two middle feathers longest. Dimensions. Total length of skin, about 8¾ inches; wing, 5¼; tail, 3¾ inches. Colors. _Male._—Breast with a large semi-circular patch or transverse belt of black; middle of the abdomen yellow; head above and throat pale brown, with obscure longitudinal lines and spots of black; back, wing coverts, sides of the body, and inferior coverts of the tail, transversely striped with white and black, the former tinged with obscure yellowish; rump and superior coverts of the tail white; a few feathers of the coverts with irregular bars of black on their outer webs; quills black, with spots of white on both edges; tail black, with irregular spots of white; bill and tarsi dark. _Female._—Similar to the male, but with the colors more obscure, and the black of the breast of less extent and not so deep in shade. Hab. California and New Mexico. Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada., and Nat. Mus., Washington city. Obs. Somewhat resembles in form only the Red Woodpecker of western North America (_Melanerpes ruber_), but is larger and differently colored. It also in some respects resembles the yellow-bellied Woodpecker (_Picus varius_), but not so much as to render it necessary for differences to be specially designated. It is possible that this species, when perfectly mature, or in spring plumage, may assume more brilliant colors, as do others of its genus. We regard this bird as singularly blending the characters of genera which in typical species are very distinct and easily defined. It is of the general form of _Melanerpes_, though not strictly; while in some other respects, especially in colors, it shows an alliance to that group of typical _Picus_, which includes _Picus varius_, and several other American species. Our present arrangement or generic designation is provisional only. CARDINALIS SINUATUS.—Bonaparte. The Texan Cardinal Bird. PLATE XXXIII. Male and Female. In our present plate we present to the reader one of the most delicately colored of the many fine-plumaged birds which inhabit the southwestern countries of this Republic, and it is another of the birds of Mexico whose range of locality northwardly extends to within the limits of the United States. Our bird is, however, resident in Texas, or of but limited migration during the coldest season. It has occasionally been observed in considerable numbers; but is as yet to be met with in comparatively few collections, and is much valued by collectors.