Woodpeckers 223 



outer pair rudimentary and concealed, so that there 

 appear to be only ten ; these are very stiff and strong 

 with rigid shafts and pointed tips. Tarsi scutellate in 

 front, reticulate behind ; toes four or sometimes three, 

 the hallux being occasionally lost, the fourth toe 

 reversed and pointing backwards alongside the first or 

 hallux. Tongue very long, worm -like and extensile, and 

 actuated by a special arrangement of the hyoid 

 muscles and bones. 



Family PICIDiE. 



All the North American Woodpeckers are included 

 in this family. 



Key of the Genera. 



A. Outer hind toe longer than the outer front toe. 



a. Four toes. 



a^ Pluraage black and white, red on the crown only, no yellow. 



Dryobates, p. 223. 

 b^ Pluraage black, white, yellow and red. Sphyrapicus, p. 228. 



b. Three toes only ; crown with yellow, not red. Picoides, p. 227- 



B. Outer hind toe about equal to the outer front toe. 



a. Back red, black and white in masses. Melanerpes, p. 233. 



b. Back glossy green with a grey nuchal collar. Asyndesmus, p. 235. 



c. Back cross-barred with black and white. Centurus, p. 237. 



C. Outer hind toe distinctly shorter than outer front toe. 



a. Head red-crested, size large, wing over 8. PhlcEotomus, p. 232. 



b. Head not crested ; belly with round, black spots. 



Colaptes, p. 238. 



Genus DRYOBATES. 



Bill stout and straight, about equal to the head ; a sharply defined 

 ridge on the culraen and on a groove on either side of the upper n^andible ; 

 wing long and pointed, the outer primary quite short ; four toes, the 

 outer posterior (fourth) longer than the outer anterior (third) ; plumage 

 black and white, the wings black with white spots ; red on the heaxi 

 in the male only. 



A considerable genus with six species in the United States. 



