98 



U. S. p. E. E. EXP. AND SUEVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENESAL EEPOET. 



Comparative measurements of species. 



PICOIDES AKCTICUS. 



Black Backed Three-toed Woodpecker. 



PtctiJ (Jlpternus) arclicus, Sw. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831,313. 



.Sptermis arclicus, Bp. List, 1838 Is. Consp. 1850, 139. — Newbekrt, Zool. Cal. and Greg. Route, 91; Rep. 



P. R. R. Surv. VI, 1857. 

 Picus arclicus, Aud. Syn. 1839, 182.— Ib. Birds Amer. IV, 1842, 266; pi. 268.— Nuttall, Man. I, 2d ed , 



1840, 691. 

 Picus Iridaclylus, Bon. Am. Orn. II, 1828, 14 ; pl.xiv, f. 2.— Aud. Orn. Biog. II, 1834, 198 ; pi. 132. 



Sp. Ch. — Above entirely uniform glossy bluish black ; a square patch on the middle of the crown, saffron yellow, and a 

 few white spots on the outer edges of both webs of the primary and secondary quills. Beneath white, on the sides of the 

 breast longitudinally striped, and on the sides of the belly and on the flanks and tibial region banded transversely with black. 

 A narrow concealed white line from the eye a _ehort distance backwards, and a white stripe from the extreme forehead (meet- 

 ing anteriorly) under the eye, and down the sides of the neck. Bristly feathers of the base of the bill brown. Exposed 

 portion of two outer tail feathers (1st and 2d) white. 



Length, about 9j inches ; wing, 5 ; tail, 3.85. Female, without yellow on the head. 



Hab. — Northern portions of the United States to the Arctic regions, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. 



This species differs from the other American three-toed woodpeckers chiefly in having the 

 hack entirely black. The white line from the eye is usually almost imperceptible, if not 

 wanting entirely. 



List of specimens. 



PICOIDES HIRSUTUS. 



Banded Three-toed Woodpecker. 



Pictis hirsutus, Vieill. Ois. Am. Sept. II, 1807, 68 ; pi. cxxiv.— Wagler, Syst, Av, 1827, No. 102, (mixed up with 

 vndulalus.) Add. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 184 ; pi. 417.— Ib. Birds Am. IV, 1842, pi. 269.— Nctt. Man. 

 I, 2d ed. 1840, 622. 



.Sptemtii hirsulus, Bon. List. 1838.— Ib. Consp. 1850, 129. 



Picu3 {^ptemus) tridactylus, Sw. F. Bor. Am. U, 1831, 311 ; pi. Ivi. 



.ipttrnus americanui, Sw. Class. Birds, II, 1837, 306. 



