52 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



arral Cock," "Road runner" and "Snake killer," to the whites; by the 

 Mexicans called " Paisano ;" marvellous stories of its powers of killing rat- 

 tlesnakes and other Ophidians pass current. 



Dr. Cooper has found Coccygus Americanus in Southern California, and 

 thinks it is yet to be detected in the valley of the Colorado. 



PICID^E. 



38. Picus Harrisii Audubon. 



One of tlie most common and characteristic birds in the vicinity of Fort 

 Whipple. 



The iris is brown at all ages ; but varies from a clear light reddish brown to 

 a dark blackish brown. The bill and feet are horn-bluish black. The speci- 

 mens from the same locality hardly vary notably in size, though the male is 

 usually larger than the female. None of my specimens approach in size the 

 immense race found in Arctic America. 



No specimens out of a very large series, exhibit the slightest tendency 

 towards the smoky brown tinge, or discoloration of the under parts, seen 

 almost constantly in birds from California and Oregon and Washington Ter- 

 ritories ; but have the under parts pure white, and usually, too, with no in- 

 dications of the obsolete lateral and crissal black streaks seen in the race from 

 the Pacific coast. Specimens not in high plumage frequently have the pri- 

 maries and rectrices gray instead of black ; and this gray is sometimes so 

 faded towards the apices of the feathers, as to be almost white. 



It is a little singular that in a locality where P. Harrisii is resident, and so 

 very common, P. Gairdneri should be either not found at all, or so very 

 rare that I <li I not identify it with certainty during my whole stay ; though I 

 am under the impression that I once saw a single specimen. 



39. Picus scALARis Waaler. 



jPjcws scalaris, Wagler, Isis, 1829, v. 511. Bp. C. A. 1850, p. 138. Baird, 



B. N*. A., lh'58, p. 94; hut not of Gambel, which is P. nuttalli. 

 Picus gracilis, Lesson. Revue Zoolog. 1839, p. 90. 

 Picus parvus, Cabot, Bost. Jouru. N. H., 1845, p. 90. 

 Fort Whipple appears to be about tb.3 northern limit of this species. It is 

 not very common there, being only a summer visitant, breeding sparingly ; 

 further south, through the Territory and in the Colorado Valley, it is abund- 

 ant. It does not appear to cross the Colorado Desert into California, (whure 

 the P. Nuttalli replaces it,) but extends far southward into Central America. 

 A male shot June 5th has the feathers worn off the belly, as if incubating. 

 Young birds just fledged were taken July 10th. The nest was in the top of a 

 live-oak tree. The heads of the young at this season have rather more red 

 on them than those of the adults. 



Iris deep reddish brown ; bill dark slaty black ; legs and feet horn bluish. 

 The average length is 6*50 inches ; some specimens measure nearly 7 inches. 

 P. Nuttalli seems to be exclusively a toast species, not crossing to the Colo- 

 rado Valley- 



SPHYRAPICUS Baird, 1858. 



The genus Splii/rapicus instituted by Prof. Baird, in 1S58, to replace the 

 preoccupied and therefore untenable Pilumnus of Bonaparte, (type P. t/n/roi- 

 deus Cass.) is a most natural one, widely separated from other genera by sin- 

 gular anatomical peculiarities as well as striking external features. Its North 

 American components are all very closely allied, notwithstanding that Prof. 

 Baird intimates his doubts as to the propriety of referring P. Williamsani 

 here, and Prof. Reichenbach has been inclined to consider P. thyroideus as a 

 Cnlajit s. I am familiar with the habits and anatomical peculiarities of all 

 our North American Sphyrapiei except 5. ruber, and my study has revealed 

 points so essentially at variance with other Picida-, that I am inclined to in- 

 stitute for the reception of the genus a subfamily Spliyrapicince. 



[March, 



