484 



SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. —PICAEI^ — PICIFOBMES. 



442. X. albolarva'tus. (Lat. alho, with white, larvatus, masked.) White-headed Wood- 

 PECKEK. Hoiiy not handed, streaked, nor s])otted. Unifornri black ; whole head white, in the 

 ^ with a scarlet nuchal band ; a large patch of white on the wing, formed by white spaces on 

 both webs of the primaries, divided only by their black shafts ; on the secondaries commonly 

 resolved into a number of blotches. Bill and feet plumbeous-blackish. Iris red. 9 without 

 the red on the nape. Length 8.75-9.50; extent 15.75-16.25; wing 5.00-5.25; tail 3.50. 

 Mountains of California, Oregon and Washington, common in pine woods. A remarkable 

 species, unique in coloration, and still more peculiar in the little extensibility of the tongue, 

 which can be pulled out scarcely an inch ; that of P. villosus, for instance, extending 2 inches 

 or more beyond the end of the bill. 



Fig. 335. — European Three-toed Woodpecker (Picdides tridactylus), J nat. size ; hardly distinguishable in the 

 cut from P. americanus. (From Brehm. ) 



153. PICOI'DES. (Lat. pjCM.s, a woodpecker ; Gr. fiSoy, eiVZos, resemblance. Fig. 335.) Three- 

 toed Woodpeckers. Three-toed : the hallux (1st toe) absent, the 4th toe reversed as usual 

 in the family. Bill as in Picus proper, about as long as the head, stout, straight, with bevelled 

 end and lateral ridges, and nasal tufts hiding the nostrils ; very broad and much depressed at 

 base, with the lateral ridges very low down, in most of their length close to and parallel with 

 commissure : nostrils very near commissure ; gonys about as long as from nostrils to end of bill. 

 Wings very long and pointed ; 1st quiU spurious ; 2d between 6th and 7th in length. Crown 

 with a square yelloiv patch in the $ ; sides of head striped, of body barred, with black and 

 white ; under parts otherwise white ; quills but not coverts with white spots ; tail-feathers 



