106 



U. S. p. E. R. EXP. AND SUEVETS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



Mr. Thomas Bridges more recently collected a male specimen in northern California, and 

 sent it to London, where it was described by Mr. Sclater, in February, 1858, as quoted above. 

 As Dr. Newberry's report and plate were published in 1857, and the species there named P. 

 williamsonii by him, he has, of course, the priority. 



This one species is so entirely different from any other American bird as to require no special 

 comparison. It has as yet only been found in the Eocky mountains, about latitude 40°, and 

 westward. 



List of specimens. 



SPHYRAPICUS THYROIDEUS, Baird. 



Brown-headed Woodpecker. 



Picus ihyroidtua, Cassin, Pr. A. N. Sc. V, Dec. 1851, 349, (California.)— Heermann, J. A. N. Sc. Ph. 2(1 eer. H, 



1853, 270. 

 Melanerpes thyroideus, Cassin, III. I, 1854, 201 ; pi. xx.\ii. 

 Pilumnus thyroideus, Bon. Consp. Zygod. Aten. Ital. 1854, 8. 

 .'? Picus nataliae, Malherbe, Cab. Journ. f. Ornith. 1854, 171. 



Sp. Ch. — About the size of P. varius. Head dark ashy brown ; rest of body apparently encircled by narrow transverse and 

 continuous bands crossing the wings, of black and brownish white, except a large, round, black patch on the breast ; and the 

 central line of the body from the crest to the vent, which is the color of roll sulphur. No rod on the head. Female with 

 rather duller color. Length about 9 inches ; wing, 5 inches ; tail, 4.10 inches. 



Hat. — Cascade and Coast ranges of California and Oregon. 



This species, but recently added to our Fauna, is quite different in its colors from the other 

 North American species. In addition to the characters already assigned, the crown of the head 

 is obscurely streaked or spotted with black. The transverse and well defined narrow bands on 

 the back, breast, and sides of the body are very peculiar. The rump and upper tail coverts are 

 •white, with a few spots of black ; the under coverts are barred with black. The tail feathers 

 are black, the inner and outer barred transversely with white on both webs, the shafts, however, 

 entirely black. The quills are all spotted with white on both webs. 



The sexes of the sjsecimens collected liave not been indicated sufficiently to show whether the 

 absence of red about the head in all of them aiiijlies to the male as well as the female. 



List of specimens. 



