230 



ORNITHOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS. 



Superfamily PICOIDE^. 



Family PIOID^. 

 103. — Dryobates purus Stejneger. 



1858. — Picus major Kittl., Denkw., I, p. 321 {ntc Lin.)-— Taczan., Bull. Soc. Zool. 



France, 1882, p. 395. 

 1883. — Picus major kavitschaUcna Dybowski, Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 1883, p. 368 



I nee Picus Icamtschatkensis, Bp. ) 

 1884. — Dendrocopoa purus Stejneger, Auk, 1884, p. 35. 



This species is closely related to D. major (Lin.), but differs in having 

 the breast and upper abdomen very pure white, the white of the lateral 

 rectrices without, or almost without, dark markings, and possessing a 

 white spot on the outer web of each of the longest primaries near the tip. 



The greater purity of the white of the lower surface and the greater 

 extent of the same color on the lateral tail-feathers distinguish this 

 species easily from its allies. In the description of B. cissa Pallas ex- 

 pressly says that the lateral rectrices are white "nigro trausversim varie- 

 gatSB " and " pectore sordescente." Specimens of D. major from Central 

 Europe, the only ones at present accessible to me, have the lateral tail- 

 feathers strongly barred, and lack the white spot near the tips of the 

 outer web of the longest primaries. The markings are, however, also 

 found in Bryohates japonicus (Seeb.), but the Japanese bird has a very 

 dark lower surface, and transverse markings on all the lateral tail- 

 feathers; besides, the Kamtschatkan form has a stouter and longer bill. 



Bryohates purus is especially conspicuous for the uniform white color 

 on the lateral tail-feathers. In two of the specimens are seen some 

 traces of transverse bars on one or both of the two external feathers, but 

 no traces of similar bars or spots are found on the two following pairs. 



The dimensions may be seen from the following 

 List of specimens obtained. 



•^ Types of Dendrocopos purus. 



