WEDS — PICIDAE — PICUS GAIBDNEKI. 



91 



lAst of specimens. 



PICUS GAIRDNERI, Aud. 



Gairduer's Woodpecker. 



Picus gairdneri, Aud. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 317.— Is. Syn. 1839, ISO.— Ib. Birds Araer IV, 1842, 252, (not figured.) 

 Picus meridionalis, Nott. Man. I, 2d ed., 1840, 690, (not of SwainsoTl ) 

 Sp. C'h. — Very similar in size and color to P. pubescens ; darker. Larger wing coverts, and more exposed tertials, either pure 

 black, or with but occasional spots on the outer web in the latter. Back with a white median stripe. Side of head with two 

 white and two black stripes. Two outer tail feathers white, with two bands of black at the end. Length 6J inches ; wing 3J, 

 generally rather less. Male with a scarlet occipital band. 



Hab — With P. harrisii, from Pacific coast to eastern base of Rocky mountains. 



This species, wliich is about the size of P. pubescens, and represents it on the western half of 

 the continent, is very similar in color and pattern of markings, with certain exceptions hereafter 

 to he pointed out. The upper parts are black, with a white stripe down the middle of the back. 

 A white stripe commencing above the eye margins the crown, and passes round on the nape, 

 sometimes apparently confluent. There is a second white stripe from the forehead below the 

 eye and down on the side of the neck. As in pubescens, this reaches upwards to the edge of 

 the eye. A distinct white stripe passes from the lower jaw down on the sides of the neck. The 

 under parts are smoky brownish white, with obsolete short streaks and spots on the sides of the 

 body and abdomen. The wing coverts are almost unspotted ; sometimes they are perfectly black, 

 at others there is an occasional, mostly concealed spot. The innermost or exposed tertiaries are 

 sometimes perfectly black, (4374,) usually, however, there are a few spots on them. There are 

 five rows on the outer webs of the longer primaries. The two outer tail feathers are white, 

 with the extreme base and two continuous transverse bars at the end black. The third is 

 obliquely white at the tip and along the terminal portion of the outer web. The white tip has 

 a black spot, and therais a round white spot on the inner web anterior to the white tip. 



The male has the occiput crimson, this color terminating the white feathers ; the color some- 

 times continuous, sometimes interrupted. 



There are the same series in specimens of Picus gairdneri that were indicated under P. harrisii. 

 Thus the more northern, from Washington Territory and Oregon, have the under parts more 



