15. DEKDROCOPUS. 247 



Dryobates scalaris bairdi, Ridgxv. Man. N. Amer. B. pp. 284, 285 



(1887). 

 Dryobates scalai-is sinaloensis, Ridqw. Man. N. Amer. B. p. 285 



(1887)*. 



Adult male. Entire back, rump, and scapulars barred black and 

 white ; upper tail-coverts black ; wing-coverts, bastard-wing, and 

 primary-coverts black, spotted with white ; quills black, spotted 

 with white on both webs, the innermost feathers barred across with 

 white ; shafts brownish black ; four central tail-feathers uniform 

 black, the next one black, spotted on the apical half of the outer 

 web and tipped with buffy white, the two outer large feathers on 

 either side (except the base of the inner web of the innermost) bufFy 

 white or pure white barred with black ; shafts corresponding in 

 colour with the surrounding web ; nasal plumes smoky brown ; 

 forehead black, spotted with white ; crown and occiput crimson, 

 the feathers of the crown spotted with white and having dusky 

 black bases ; nape black, the lower part of the hind neck barred 

 with white ; lores and face creamy or brownish white, the side of 

 the neck slightly darker ; a black auricular and malar stripe, the 

 two uniting behind the ear-coverts ; chin dull white, the throat, 

 chest, and breast sandy brown, the remainder of the uuderparts and 

 under tail-coverts dull white, the sides of the chest and breast spotted 

 with black, the flauks and thighs with bar-like markings of the 

 same, the vent having more sagittate spots, and the under tail- 

 coverts with bars or sagittate spots of black ; under wing-coverts 

 white, barred with black ; on the edge of the wing a conspicuous 

 spot of blackish brown ; axillaries sandy white, transversely spotted 

 with black. Total length from 6-8 to 5-8 inches, culmen 0-9 to 0-8, 

 wing 4-2 to 3-55, tail 2-45 to 2, tarsus U*72 to 0-66 ; toes (without 

 claws) — outer anterior 0-52 to 0*4(3, outer posterior 0-57 to 0-54, 

 inner anterior 0'42 to 0-4, inner posterior 0-28 to 0'25. 



Young male. Resembles, generally, the adult of the same sex, but 

 has the red on the head confined to a dull crimson spot or quadrate 

 patch on the crown, the hinder part of the crown and the occiput 

 being black ; the sides of the face and neck are duller than in the 

 adult, and the ground-colour of the under surface of the body is more 

 of a smoky white and wants the sandv-brown tint on the throat, 

 chest, and breast. 



Adult female. Differs from the adult male in having the forehead, 

 crown, and occiput uniform black. 



Texan examples run large, and the species decreases in size 

 towards South-cast Mexico, the minimum being reached in Yucatan. 

 The typical bird is evidently that from South-east Mexico ; the 

 Texas bird is known as D. bairdi, and the small Yucatan bird bears 



* From an examination of Dr. Riclgway's type, I was at first inclined to think 

 that the Sinaloa bird might be separated from the true I), scalaris ; but after 

 studying the extensive collections from Mexico, recently presented to the Museum 

 by Messrs. Salvin and Godman, I am induced to unite D. siiialoensis with D. 

 scalaris. 



