286 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Nat. Sci. Phila., 1903, 8 (Siskiyou Mts., n. California; crit.).— Swarth, 

 Univ. Calif. Pub. Zool., vii, 1911, 69 (Kupreanof, Kuiu, Prince of Wales, 

 Etolin, and Wrangell islands and Chickamin R., Alaska; crit.); x, 1912, 34 

 (descr. nest; crit. nomencl.).<* 



Sphyropicus varius ruber Coues, Check List, 2d ed., 1882, no. 448, par* 



S[phyropicus] v[arius] ruber Coues, Key N. Am. Birds, 2d ed., 1884, 486, part. 



[Sphyrapicus varius] c. ruber Coues, Birds Northwest, 1874, 286, part (synonymy). 



Sphyrapicu^ ruber ruber Grinnell (J.), Univ. Calif. Pub. Zool., v, 1909, 218 

 (Admiralty Is., Alaska; crit.). 



SPHYRAPICUS THYROroEUS (Cassin). 



WILLIAMSON'S WOODPECKER. 



Adult male. — Greater part of head and neck, back, scapulars, 

 chest, and sides of breast uniform glossy greenish blue-black; a white 

 postocular or supra-auricular streak, extending to sides of nape, 

 where considerably expanded; a white suborbital and subauricular 

 stripe originating on and involving nasal tufts and extending to 

 beneath end of auricular region; a median stripe of bright poppy 

 red on lower chin and upper throat; abdomen and median portion 

 of breast bright sulphur or canary yellow (sometimes nearly lemon 

 yellow) ; sides, flanks, and under tail-coverts white, broadly striped 

 and spotted with black, the markings more or less V-shaped on flanks 

 and under tail-coverts; lower rump and upper tail-coverts white, 

 the lateral portions of the former and outer webs of latter largely 

 black; tail black; wings black, the middle coverts and outer webs 

 of greater coverts (except inner or proximal ones) white, forming a 

 very conspicuous large longitudinal patch on wing, the second, or 

 third, to fifth primaries (counting from outermost) usually with a 

 greater or less number of small white spots on outer web ; bill black 

 in summer, purplish slaty brown in winter; iris deep reddish brown 

 legs and feet grayish olive in life; length (skins), 190-220 (208) 

 wing, 131.5-139 (136.8); tail, 70.5-88.5 (83.2); culmen, 23-28 (25.6) 

 tarsus, 20.5-22.5 (21.5); outer anterior toe, 14-15 (14.5).^ 



Young male. — Similar in pattern of coloration to the adult male, 

 but the black everywhere much duller (that on back often broken 

 by more or less concealed white spotting or streaking), throat-stripe 

 white instead of red, yellow of abdomen and breast paler, and sides 

 and flanks barred, rather than striped or spotted, w^ith dusky. 



Adult female. — Very different from either adult or young male. 

 Pileum and hindneck deep drab, the occiput and nape more or less 

 streaked (sometimes also narrowly barred) with black; back and 

 scapulars broadly barred with black and pale drab or, (in worn 



o Mr. Swarth seems to have made out a good case in favor of restriction of the name 

 ruber to the northern form instead of the southern one. Unfortunately it is now 

 too late for me to reopen the question. 



6 Twenty specimens. 



