BIRDS — PICIDAE — SPHYRAPICUS WILLIAMSONII. 



105 



The shade of red sometimes varies to a more purplish tinge. The white on the wing is 

 confined to the outermost middle and greater coverts ; the quills spotted on both webs except 

 the innermost and outermost ones. The under wing coverts are white, slightly spotted (not 

 banded) with black. 



« 



Lisl of specimens. 



SPHYRAPICUS WILLIAMSONII, Baird. 



Williamson's Woodpecker. 



Picus williamsonii, Newberrt, Zool. California and Oregon Route, 89 : P. R. R. Repts. VI, 1857 ; pi. xx.xiv, 



fig. 1. 

 Melanerpes rubrigularis, Sclatek, Annals and Mag. N. H. 3d series, I, Feb. 1858, 127. 



Sp. Ch. — Black ; middle line of belly yellow ; central line of chin and tliroat above red. A large patch on the wing, rump, 

 and upper tail coverts, a line from the forehead beneath the eye, and another from its upper border, white. Tail entirely black. 

 Exposed surface of wing without any white, except on the outer primaries. Female with the chin white instead of red. Length 

 9 inches ; wing, 5 inches ; tail, 4.70 inches. 



Hob. — Rocky mountains to the Cascade mountains. 



Head and neck all round, sides of breast and body, upper parts generally, wings, and tail 

 glossy greenish black. A well defined white stripe from fhe nostrils, (including the bristly 

 nasal feathers,) passing backwards under the eye; another nearly parallel starting at the upper 

 part of the eye, and nearly meeting its fellow on the occiput. Chin and throat red along their 

 central line. A large patch on the wing, including the exi)osed portions of the middle and 

 greater coverts, white, although the anterior lesser coverts are black. The inner face of the 

 wings is white, banded transversely with white ; the sides of body behind and under tail 

 coverts white, with broadly V-shaped bands of black, which color on the latter occupies the 

 whole central portion of the feathers. Rump and upper tail coverts pure white ; back with a 

 few indistinct and concealed spots of the same. Quills black; the margins of exterior primaries 

 spotted with white, the inner margins only of the remaining quills, with similar but larger and 

 more transverse blotches. Middle of the body, from the breast to the vent, sulphur yellow. 

 Female similar, but with the chin white instead of red. 



This beautiful species of woodpecker was first collected by Dr. Newberry, August 23, 1855, 

 on the shores of Klamath lake, southern Oregon. The specimen — a female — was badly shot, 

 and thrown into alcohol, which extracted the yellow color of the belly, leaving it a dull white. 

 In this state it was figured and published in Dr. Newberry's report, in 1857, made to Lieutenant 

 Abbot. A male in good plumage was, however, taken by Dr. Hayden, on the 24th of August, 

 1857, on Laramie Peak. 

 14 b 



