^ PICIDiE — THE -WOODPECKERS. • 373 



The eggs of all are lustrous polished white, without any markings, 

 and laid in holes in trees, upon a bed of chips, no material being 

 carried in for the constmction of the nest. 



According to Mr. Brewster (Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, October, 1878, p. 179. foot-note), "the 

 young of most, if.uot all. of the Woodpeckers, regularly moult the wing- and tail-feathers 

 with the rest of the first plumage. No exceptions to this rule occur among large series 

 of the common North American species examined, and it may probably be found to hold 

 good among all. excepting, perhaps. some highly specialized groups. Another peculiar 

 feature in the early development of the species most thoroughly investigated, and one 

 which is perhaps common to all the members of this family, is the fact that a certain 

 portion of the females in first plumage possess to a greater or less degree the adornments 

 which in more advanced stages are peculiar to the males alone, and which are lost with 

 the first moult. Marked examples of this are afforded by young females of Colaptes 

 auratus, Pious pubescens, and others of which detailed descriptions are given in the 

 text." 



The genera with which we have to deal in this work may be dis- 

 tinguished as follows : 



Section Dryohatece. 



A. Posterior outer toe longer than the anterior one. (Fourth toe longer than third.) 

 a. Lateral ridge starting above the middle of the base of the bill, and extending to 

 the tip. 



1. Campephilus. Lateral ridge above the middle of the lateral profile of the bill 

 when opposite the end of the nostrils, which are ovate, and rounded anteriorly. 

 Bill much depressed, very long; gonys very long. Posterior outer toe consider- 

 ably longer than the anterior. Primaries long, attenuated towards the tip. 

 Spurious auill nearly half the second. Shafts of four middle tail-feathers remark- 

 ably stout, of equal size, and abruptly very much larger than the others ; two middle 

 tail-feathers narrower towards base than towards end.* A pointed occipital crest. 



2. Dryobates, Lateral ridge in the middle of the lateral profile opposite the end of 

 nostrils, which are ovate and sharp-pointed anteriorly. Bill moderate, nearly as 

 broad as high. Outer hind toe moderately longer than the outer fore toe. Primaries 

 broad to the tip, and rounded. Spurious primary not one third the second quill. 



3. Piooides. Lateral ridge below the middle of the profile, opposite the end of the 

 ovate acute nostrils, which it greatly overhangs. Bill greatly depressed; lower 

 mandible deeper than the upper. Inner hind toe wanting, leaving only three toes. 

 Tufts of nasal bristles very full and long. 



h. Lateral ridge starting below the middle of the base of the bill, and running as a 

 distinct ridge into the edge of the commissure at about its middle; the terminal 

 half of the mandible rounded on the sides, although the truncate tip is distinctly 

 beveled laterally. 



4. Sphyrapious, Nostrils considerably overhung by the lateral ridge, very small, 

 hnear. Gonys as long as the eulmen from the nostials. Tips of tail-feathers 

 elongated and linear, not cuneate. Wings very long; exposed portion of spurious 

 primary about one fourth that of second quill. 



*A character common to all the members of the genus, and distinguishing them from 

 the species of every other; this peculiar form of the middle tail-feathers is caused princi- 

 pally by a folding of the webs downward, almost against each other. The under surface 

 of the shafts have a very deep groove their whole length, which is seen in no other genus . 



