594 



SYSTEM A TIC SYNOPSIS. — PICARLE — PICI. 



resident, less so northerly, where migratory for the most part, though occasionally seen in 

 winter throughout its regular range; breeds throughout, from late April to early June ; nest 

 high or low, in dead wood, preferably of deciduous trees, sometimes conifers; eggs 3-6, usu- 

 ally 4 or 5, 1.00 X 0.72, ranging in length from 0.90 to 1.05, and in breadth from O.Gfi 

 to 0.70. 



C. au'rifrons. (Lat. aurum, gold ; frons, forehead.) Yellow-fronted Woodpecker. 

 Somewhat similar to the last: heWy yelloicish, not reddish; rod of head in ^ confined to a 



crown-patch, in 9 wanting. Forehead 

 and nasal plumes golden-yellow ; nape 

 with a golden, orange, or reddish band 

 (in both sexes, besides the scarlet crown- 

 patch of J). Ladder-rungs of back nar- 

 row, numerous, and distinct. Head and 

 under parts clear ashy-gray, very different 

 from the smoky-gray of uropygiaUs ; belly 

 yellowish ; flanks and crissum whitish, 

 varied with black. Upper tail-coverts 

 white, not barred. Middle tail-feathers 

 entirely black ; outermost not entirely 

 barred ; next black or only touched with 

 white. Bill and feet bluish-black. Iris 

 red. Length 9..50-10.50 ; extent 16.50- 

 17.50; wing 5.00-5.50 ; tail 3.25-3.75; 

 bill 1.30. 9 differs as said. Young $ : 

 Distinctively like adult; nearly all the 

 crown bronzy-red; nasal plumes not yel- 

 low, nape dull yellowish; a few thin 

 streaks of dusky on breast. Texas and 

 southward ; resident and very abundant 

 in suitable localities on the Lower Rio 

 Grande. Habits not peculiar. Nest often 

 in telegraph-poles. Eggs 4-7. usually 5 or 6, 1.00 X 0.75, laid in April and May. 

 C. uropygia'lis. (Gr. ovpoTrvyiov, ovropugion, Lat. xiropygium, the rump ; banded in this 

 species, not white as in aurifrons.) Gila Woodpecker. Saguaro Woodpecker. Head 

 all around and entire under parts fulvous-gray ; front and nape not notably different ; middle 

 of belly yellowish ; flanks and crissum whitish with black bars and cordate spots ; middle of 

 crown crimson m ^. Back, rump, up})er tail-coverts, wing-coverts, and inner quills closely 

 and regularly banded with black and white, latter not pure on dorsal region. Primaries black- 

 ish, not regularly barred or spotted like inner quills, but slightly white-tipped and edged, and 

 with large white blotches at base, of irregular shapes and tending to resolve into sets of 

 smaller spots. Middle pair of tail-feathers black, with long white shaft-space on outei web, 

 on inner web white with black bars and spots ; intermediate tail-feathers black ; outermost 

 regularly barred with black and white; next to outermost thus barred at end only. Bill 

 blackish ; feet plumbeous. Size of the others, or rather less. 9 without red on head. A 

 peculiar species, abounding in tlie valley of the Gila and Lower Colorado, and southward, 

 where it nests usually in the giant cactuses or saguaros (Cereiis giganteus). The range of 

 these strange arborescent plants, so singularly suggestive of colossal candelabras, seems 

 closely coincident with that of the bird which makes its home in them. It extends up the 

 Colorado to Fort Mojave at least, doubtless reaching S. Nevada, and probably touching 

 the S. W. corner of Utah ; up the Gila to S. W. New Mexico ; is common also in some parts 



Fig. 407. — Red-bellied Woodpecker, reduced 

 del. Nichols sc. ) 



(Sheppard 



