692 



SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. — PICARLE — PICI. 



knovvu to iiitergrade iu every degree with that of S. v. nuchalis. On the strength of this fact 

 the bird was rated as a subspecies, ^S*. v. ruber, in the 2d-4th eds. of the Key. But the sexes 

 are alike ; consequently there is no intergradation iu the 9 i and specific distinctness may be 

 formally declared on this score. The red of the head is only less complete than in Melanerpes 

 erythrocephalus, in full-feathered adults ; its tint, and extent on the breast, vary much. Nests 

 in deciduous trees, as well as conifers, and preferably live ones, excavating a hole 6 to 12 

 inches deep, with a small round opening, usually at considerable height ; eggs 5 or 6, averag- 

 ing 0.92 X 0.69, laid from the latter half of April to the middle of June in different latitudes or 

 at different altitudes. 



S. thyroi'deus. (Gr. dvpeoetbr]s, thureoeides, Lat. thyroideus, shield-like; dvpeos, thureos, a 

 shield ; elBos, resemblance ; alluding to black plastron of 9- Figs. 405, 406.) Brown-headed 

 Woodpecker ( 9 ). Black-breasted Woodpecker ( 9 )• Red-throated Woodpecker 

 ((?)• Williamson's Woodpecker ((J). Adult ^: Glossy black, including all the tail- 

 feathers. Belly gamboge yellow. A nar- 

 row scarlet patch on throat. Upper tail- 

 coverts, broad oblique bar on wing-coverts, 

 postocular stripe, stripe from nostrils below 

 eye and ear, and small, iu part paired, 

 spots on quills, white. Lining of wings, 

 sides of body, Hanks, and crissum varied 

 with white, leaving the black in bars and 

 cordate spots. Bill slate-color ; mouth 

 pinkish, feet greenish-gray, claws black, 

 iris dark reddish-brown. Length 9.00- 

 9.50; extent 16.00-17.00; wing 5.00- 

 5..50; tail 3.75; bill 0.90; whole foot 

 1.67. Adult 9: Altogether different ; only 

 upper tail-coverts white and belly yellow 

 as in ^ ; only continuously black in a 

 shield-shaped area of varying extent on breast. Otherwise, entire body, including wing- 

 coverts, inner secondaries and most tail-feathers, closely and regularly barred crosswise with 

 black and white, or brownish-wliite (most 

 brownish on body, quite white on wings and 

 tail). Whole head uniform hair-brown, in- 

 vaded more or less with the variegation of the 

 body, sometimes with traces of the postocu- 

 lar stripe of ^, and sometimes touched with 

 red on throat. Quills more heavily white- 

 spotted than in ^, the spots paired on all 

 the feathers, changing to bars on the inner 

 ones. Two or three intermediate tail-feath- 

 ers black, but middle and one or two outer 

 pairs barred. Size of the ^. The extraor- 

 dinary sexual differences long kept thyroi- 

 deus and '■'■ williamsoni^^ apart in the books 

 as perfectly distinct species ; especially as 

 they begin with the first featherings, fledg- 

 lings in the nest showing the opposite patterns perfectly. Young (J: Like adult ; no red in 

 white throat-patch; belly merely yellowish; tail varied with white. Young 9- Like adult, 

 but whole head, neck, and breast banded with dusky and gray, conformable with the general 



Fig. 405. — Browu-headed Woodpecker ( $), nat. size. 

 nat. del. E. C.) 



(Ad. 



Fig. 400. — Red-throated Woodpecker ( (f ), nat. size 

 (Ad. nat. del. E. C.) 



