PICOIDES AMERICANUS. 285 



Picus Mdactilus var. /3., Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1788. 439.— Lath., Incl. Orn. i, 1790, 243. 



Picus (Apternus) tridacfyhis, Sw., F. B. A. ii, 1831, 311, pi. 56 (nee Linn.). 



Picoidcs tridaciylus var. americamis, B. B. & R., N. A. B. ii, 1874, pi. .50, f. 2. 



Tridactylia undulaia, Steph., Geu. Zool. ix, 220.— Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. iv, 1863, 28. 



Picas hirsutus, Wagl., Svst. Av. 1827, Gen. Pic. No. 102 (nee Steph., G. Z. ix, 219, pi. 

 38 ; nee Yitaia..] Ois. Am. Sept. ii, 1807, 68, pi. 124 ; Euc. iii, 1324; Nouv. Diet. 

 xxvi, 103, qui sp. Ainer. refert, sed spec. Europ. descripsit). — Aud., Orn. Bioj^. 

 V, 1839, 184, pi. 217, f. 3, 4 ; Syn. 1839, 183; B. Am. iv, 1842, 268, pi. 269.— 

 NUTT., Man. i, 1840, 622.— Putn., Pr. Ess. Inst, i, 1856, 229. 



Apternus hirsutus, Bp., List, 183S, 39 ; Consp. Av. i, 1850, 139. — Reich., Haud-buch, 361, 

 pi. 630, f. 419^, 4194.— FixsCH, Abli. Nat. iii, 1872, 61 (Alaska). 



Picoides hirsutus, Gijay, Geu. of B. ii, 434.— Bd., B. N. A. 1858,98.— Verr., Pr. Ess. Inst, 

 iii. 1.57 (Maine, in winter;. — Coues, ibid.v, 1868, 262 (strafrgliug to Massachu- 

 setts). — Allen, Am. Nat. iii, 1870, 572 (Lynn, Mass.). — Mayn., Guide, 1870, 

 129 (same instance). 



Picoides amerieanus, Bkehm, Vog. Deutschl. 1831, 195; " VoUst. Vogelf. 71." — Malh., 

 Mon. Pic. i, 176, pi. 39, f. 1, 2.— ScL., Cat. 1862, 335.— Gkay, Cat. Brit. Mus. iii, 

 1868, 30.— Dall & Bann., Tr. Chic. Acad, i, 1869, 274.— Gray, Hand-list, ii, 

 1870, 181, No. 8537.— Coues, Key, 1872, 194. 



Picoides amerieanus var. faseiatus, Bd., in Coop. B. Cal. i, 1870, 385. 



Apternus amerieanus, Sw., Classif. B. ii, 1837, 306. 



Picus amerieanus, SuND., Cousp. Av. Pic. 1866, 1.5. 



Picus arcticus, DeKay, N. Y. Zool. 1844, 190, pi. 17, f. 36 (nee Sw.). 



b. dorsalis. 



Picoides dorsalis, Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 100, pi. 85, f. 1.— Malh., Mon. Pic. i, 179. — Hayd., 

 Rep. 1862, 155 (type specimen).— Merr., U. S. Geol. Surv. Ter. 1872, 694. 



Tridactylia dorsalis, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. iv, 1863, 26. 



Picus dorsalis, Sund., Consp. Av. Pic. 1866, 14. 



Picoides amerieanus var. dorsalis, Bd., in Coop. B. Cal. 1, 1870, 386. — Allen, Bull. M. C. 

 Z. iii, 1872, 160 (mountains of Colorado, from 8,000 feet up to timber-line). — 

 Coues, Key, 1872, 194. 



Hah. — The tyitical form in Arctic and Northern North America, straggling into the 

 United States in winter, to Massachusetts. Var. dorsalis from the Rocky Mountain 

 region as far south as Colorado. 



Lieutenant IJ'arren's Expedition. — 8809, Laramie Peak, $, Aug. 25, 1857; type of 

 dorsalis. 



Later Expeditions. — 62262, Lower Geyser Basin, Wyoming. 



As observed by Sundevall, and afterward by Baird, our three species of Picoides 

 chiefly differ in the amount of white on the back, from none in arcticus, to a long con- 

 tinuous white stripe in var. dorsalis, much as in P. villosus. But although it may be 

 only a step from the darkest-backed hirsutus to arcticus, I am not aware that the step 

 js ever actually taken by intermediate specimens, and I therefore retain the species as 

 distinct. Between amerieanus and var. dorsalis, on the contrary, the intergradatiou is 

 complete. The character of dorsalis lies in the disappearance of the one or more ti-ans- 

 "ver.se black bars on each white feather of the back, leaving an uninterrupted white 

 stripe — the successive steps toward this end being as clearlv traceable as are those of 

 the changes in the white spots of P. villosus aud pubescens. Sundevall showed that the 

 name hirsutus, of Vieillot, usually applied to this species, was based upon the Euro})ean 

 bird, although ascribed to North America ; and that the P. undulatus of the same author, 

 probably a hctitious species, is based upon P. E. .533, said to be from "Cayenne," to 

 have/o«» toes, and to be otherwise entirely incompatible with the present species. 



The Banded Tliree-toed Woodpecker is very rare in the United States — apparently 

 more so than P. arcticus. I have not learned of its occurrence further south than 

 Massachusetts, where Mr. Welch lately took specimens at Lynn. The dorsal variety, 

 on the other hand, is a common bird of the Rocky Mountain region, especially about 

 Laramie, and to, judge from the dates of observation of the specimens secured, it is 

 undoubtedly there resident. Dr. Hayden's specimen, above quoted, furuislied the type 

 of the description of/', dorsalis. 



SPHYRAPICUS VARIUS, (Linn.) Bd. 



Yellow-bellied Woodpecker. 



a. varins. 



Picas var ius, Linn., Syst. Nat. i, 17()6, 176 (P. varius minor, venire Jutco, Catks., i, 21; 

 varius ca>'o/iH«», Bui.ss., iv, 62; P. E. 785). — Gai., i, 438. — L.vrii., Ind. Orn. i, P. 

 232.— ViEiLL., Ois. Am. Sept. ii, 1807, 63, pis. 118, 119.— WiLS., Am. Orn. i, 1608, 



