BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 273 



Coloration. — Abdomen immaculate yellow or whitish; upper tail- 

 coverts at least partly white; middle and greater wing-coverts white, 

 or else whole wing (as well as back) barred with black and pale brown 

 or brownish white; chest black or barred with black, or else red (the 

 head and neck also red). Young very different from adults in 

 coloration. 



Range. — North America in general. (Three or four species.) 



KEY TO THE SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES (?) OF SPHYRAPICU8. 



a. Middle wing-coverta and outer web of greater coverts white, formiBg a conspicuous 

 longitudinal patch on wing. 

 b. Sides of throat and lower throat red or white, like rest of throat; back conspicu- 

 ously variegated with whitish; sides of chest yellowish, red, or brownish, 

 c. Chest uniform glossy black (the. feathers narrowly margined with whitish or 

 pale yellowish in first winter plumage). 

 d. Chin and throat wholly red. 

 e. Nape whitish ; red of throat separated from white subauricular stripe by pos- 

 terior extension of black malar stripe; back with more white or pale 

 brownish; wing averaging 124.1, tail 72.5. (Eastern North America; 

 south in winter to Cuba, Jamaica, Costa Rica, etc.) 



Sphyrapicus varius varius, adult male (p. 274). 

 ee. Nape red; red of throat extending laterally to white subauricular stripe; 

 back with less white; wing averaging 127.5, tail 76.5. (Rocky Moun- 

 tains to Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges, south in winter to north- 

 western Mexico.) Sphyrapicus varius nuchalis, adult male (p. 279), 



dd. Chin and throat at least partly white. 

 e. Chin and throat wholly white; pileum often uniform glossy black; wing 

 averaging 124.3, tail 71.7. 



Sphyrapicus varius varius, adult female (p. 275). 

 ee. Chin white, but at least lower throat (sometimes whole throat) red; pileum 

 always red; wing averaging 128.1, tail 74.4. 



Sphyrapicus varius nuchalis, adult female (p. 279). 

 cc. Chest not black. 

 d. Chest red, like head and neck. 

 e. Smaller, with red portions of plumage averaging lighter and duller; more 

 white on back; male averaging, wing 123.1, tail 74.6; female, wing 

 122.8, tail 75.1. (Southern California to eastern Oregon.) 



Sphyrapicus ruber ruber, adults (p. 282). 

 ee. Larger, with red portions of plumage averaging darker and brighter; less 

 white on back; male averaging, wing 128.6, tail 78.9; female, wing 

 130.5, tail 81.5. (Western Oregon to southern Alaska.) 



Sphyrapicus ruber notkensis, adults (p. 284). 



dd. Chest dull grayish brown or brownish gray, more or less distinctly barred 



or lunula ted with darker. 



c. Back light yellowish brown, variegated with black; sides of head with a 



distinct supra-auricular and a conspicuous suborbital and sub-auricular 



stripe of whitish; throat dull whitish; abdomen distinctly yellowish. 



Sphyrapicus varius varius, young (p. 275). 

 ee. Back black or dark sooty, variegated with whitish; sides of head without 

 distinct stripes; throat sooty brown or grayish, nearly concolor with 

 chest. 

 /. Head and chest without reddish suffusion. 



Sphyrapicus varius nuchalis, young (p. 279). 

 3622°— Bull. 50, pt 6—14 18 



