13. SPHYROPICUS. 



193 



I'icus varius (occidentalis), Simdfiv. Conttp. Av. Picin. p. 34 (1866). 

 Spliyropicus v.arius, var. nuchalis, Baird, Ibis, 1867, p. 27Q ; B., B., ^ 



R. Hid. N. Anier. B. ii. p. ,542, pi. li. ligs. 3c?, 4 $ ad. (1874). 

 Sphyropicus varius (iion Linn.), Brown, Ibis, 18G8, p. 419. 

 Picus varius, var., Gi-ai/, List Picid. Brit. Mus. p. 52 (1868), 

 Sphyropicus nuchalis, Cooj). B. Calif, ed. Baird, i. p. 390 (1870). 

 Sphvrapicus varius, var. nuchalis, Ridgic. Proc. Essex Inst. 1875, p. 38; 



Hensh. U.S. Geogr. Sun: JF. of lOOfh Merid. 1875, p. 392. 

 Sphyrapicus varius nuchalis, Rigw. Proc. Essex Inst. 1875, pp. 24, 



34 ; id. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mns. 1880, p. 189 ; Beld. op. cit. 1883, 



p. 349; Dreir, Auk, 1885, p. 17; Scott, t. c. p. 427; A. O. U. 



Check-list N. Amer. B. p. 215, no. 402 a (1886) ; Ridgw. Man. N. 



Amer. B. p. 288 (1887). 

 Picus varius (pt.), Giebel, Thes. Orn. iii. pp. 184, 185 (1876). 

 Sphyropicus varius nuchalis, Cones, Check-list N. Amer. B. 2ud ed. 



1882, g. 78, no. 447 ; id. Key N. Amer. B. 2nd ed. 1884, p. 486, 



no. 44/ ; Scott, Auk, 1885, p. 174. 



Adult male. Differs from S. varius in having many of the black 

 malar feathers, and the feathers composing the stripes across the 

 face, and the nuchal baud (which are white in that species) tipped 

 with crimson, the nuchal feathers being almost entirely red. Total 

 length 8 inches, culmen 0'93, wing 4'95, tail 2-9, tarsus 0-8 ; toes 

 (without claws) — outer anterior 0-55, outer posterior 0"55, inner 

 anterior 0-45, inner posterior 0'25. 



Adult f email'. Has the chin white, the throat-feathers red on their 

 apical portion ; the face crossed by two black and two white stripes 

 without any red upon the feathers ; the nuchal feathers tipped with 

 red. In other respects it resembles the adult male. Total length 

 8 inches, culmen 1, wing 4'9, tail 2'65, tarsus 0*8. 



The young are very similar to the young of S. varius, but are 

 slightly darker. 



Hab. Rocky-Mountain region of the United States, west to the 

 eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada, north into British Columbia, 

 extending south into New Mexico, Arizona, and the southern por- 

 tion of Loiter California, and also into Mexico (Chihuahua). 



