BIRDS — PICIDAE — PICUS SCALAEIS. 



95 



the dark brown of the base of the feather. In the female the top of the head is uniformly black, 

 •with a tinge Of brownish anteriorly. The side of the head is black, with two white stripes, the 

 latter color predominating. One white stripe begins above the eye, and, margining the crown, 

 passes into a white patch on the lower part of the side of the neck. A second stripe begins at 

 the posterior portion of the upper mandible, and, passing backwards under the eye, appears to 

 stop short in the black. The tuft of feathers and bristles over the nostrils, are dirty brown, 

 scarcely different from the feathers of the crown. 



The predominant character of all the tail feathers is black, of which color are the bases of all. 

 The outer feather has four white bands on the inner web, and a fifth and sixth basal ones on 

 the outer. The second feather has the same number on the outer web, (six,) besides a white 

 tip, but only three on the inner on the terminal half. The third has five white spots on the 

 outer web, with a trace of a second one at the end of the inner. 



There is a little variation in the size of different specimens of this species, but no other of 

 importance. The black spots of the breast are sometimes darker, and more abundant. 



This species is closely related to the Picus nuttalli, but may be readily distinguished. Both 

 have the back banded transversely with black and white, and the breast spotted, the pattern of 

 stripes on the side of the head similar, &c. The Picus scalaris is, however, smaller ; the entire 

 top of the head is crimson, instead of the posterior half only ; the tufts of feathers at the base of 

 the bill are brown, scarcely different from that which sufi"uses the forehead, instead of being 

 clear yellowish white in marked contrast. The white bands of the back come up to the neck, 

 instead of ceasing on the upper part of the back. The white of the side of the head is in much 

 greater proportion. The under parts are browner, the spots smaller. The predominating char- 

 acter of the outer tail feathers is black, with six white bands on the outer webs of the first and 

 second, dividing them nearly equally, and five on the third, and four, three, and one band or 

 spot respectively on the inner webs of the first, second, and third. In P. nuttalli these feathers 

 are nearly all white ; the outer webs of the first, second, and third feathers respectively with 

 three, two, and one black bar towards the end. 



This species is confined to the central portions of the western country, from the Kio Grande 

 to the Colorado, southward along the highlands of Mexico to Yucatan. 



List of specimens. 



