o 



90 



ZOOLOGY BIKDS. 



The structure of bill and the character of the tongue, capable, by means 

 of the prolongation of the hyoid bones, of being greatly extended beyond the 

 tip of the bill, in these two species are identical, and thus, in all proba- 

 bility, the habits of the two, in respect to the manner of obtaining food, are 

 very similar. I found them at all times rather shy, and gifted with very little 

 of that prying curiosity which is seen in some of the better known species of 

 this family ; and if by chance I surprised a band feeding among the low 

 trees, a sharp warning note, from some member more watchful than the rest, 

 communicated alarm to the whole assembly, when they took flight immedi- 

 ately, showing great dexterity in dodging behind trunks and limbs, and 

 making good their retreat by short flights from one tree to another till they 

 were out of sight. 



PICUS SCALAEIS, Wagl. 

 Ladder-backed Woodpecker. 



Picus scalaris, WAGL., Isis, 1829, v, 511 (Mexico). WOODH., Sitgreave's Exp. Zimi & 

 Col. Eiv., 1854, 89. HEERM., P. R. E. Eep., x, pt. iv, 1859, 57. Id., '&., 

 Parke's Eoute, x, 1859, 18. KENNERLY, P. R. E. Eep., Whipple's Route, 

 x, 1859, 22. BD., U. S. & Mex. Bound. Surv., ii, pt. ii, 1859, Birds, 5. Id., 

 Ives' Col. Exped., 1857-58, pt. iv, 5. COUES, Proc. Acad/Nat, Sci. Pbila., 

 1800, 52. HENSHAW, Rep. Orn. Specs., 1873, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 133. 



Dictiopicus scalaris, HENRY, Proe. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pliila., 1859, 105 (New Mexico). 



In Arizona, the thirty -fourth parallel appears to form about the north- 

 ern limit of this species. Dr. Coues reports it as a summer resident at Fort 

 Whipple, which is slightly farther north than it was found by us to extend 

 in the extreme eastern part. It begins to appear not far south of Camp 

 Apache, and in the Gila Valley and southward becomes common; it is 

 numerous, however, only within about one hundred miles of the southern 

 border. It appears in fall to resemble in its manners the Downy Wood- 



