PICIDJE — THE WOODPECKERS — SPHYROPICUS. 393 



Sphyiopicus Williamsonii, Newberry. 



WILLIAMSON'S WOODPECKER. 



Piciis WiHiamsonii, Newberry, ZijoI. C'al. iiiul Or. Koiite, 89 ; P. R. Ecp. VI. iv. 1857 ; pi. 



xxxiv. fig. 1. — Sjilii/rapicus Williamsonii, Baird, P. R. Rep. IX. Biitls, 10.5. 

 Melunn-pes rubriyuluris, ScL.iTEK, Annals ami Mag. N. II. .3d Series, I. Feb. 1858, 127. 



Sp. CnAii. Black ; middle line of belly yellow ; central line of chin and throat above 

 red. A large patch on the wing, rump, and upper tail coverts, a line from the forehead 



beneath the eye, and another from its upper border, white. Tail entirely black. Ex- 

 po.'^ed surface of wing without any white, except on the outer primaries. 



Female with the chin white instead of red. (V) Length, 0.00 ; wing, 5.00 ; tail, 4.70. 



Hah. Rocky Mountains to the Cascade Mountains, and Sierra Xevada, California. 



The tir.st specimen of this beaiititiil bird that I met with was a straggler 

 in winter to the Colorado Valley, wliich I shot on the 12th of March, 1861, 

 but unfortunately did not find it until three days after, when it was nearly 

 destroyed by ants. In September, 1863, I found them rather common near 

 the summit of the Sierra Nevada in lat. 39°, where I shot two, Iwth of 

 which stuck in tlie trees. Dr. Newberry saw but one near Klamath Lake, 

 but it lias since been found at Laramie Peak, and towards the mouth of 

 Ivlamath River. 



Of its liabits I observed nothing peculiar on the few occasions wlieii 1 saw 

 tliem. They seemed to keep high in the trees, shy and silent, like others of 

 this grou]3, less noisy in their hammering than other woodpeckers. 



The male of this species is very remarkable in the absence of any red on 

 the upper part of the head, a character which, shared by the *S^. thyroidcun, 

 is scarcely to be foimd on any other North American woodpecker. It, 

 however, appears to be strictly congeneric with S. michalis, varius, etc. 



Tlie first indication of this species is to be found in the report of Dr. New- 

 berry on tlie birds collected by Lieutenant Williamson's party, and published 

 in 1857. Earlv in 18.7)8 Mr. Sclater renamed and described it, as stated 

 above, Dr. Newberry's report not Im^'ing reached him at the time. 



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