600 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Genus PICUS, Linn^us. 



Picus, Linn. Syst. Nat. 1748. (Type, Picus martius, L.) 



Gen. Char. Bill equal to the head, or a little longer ; the lateral ridges conspicuous, 



starting about the middle of the 

 base of the bill ; the basal 

 elongated oval nostrils nearest 

 the commissure ; the ridges of 

 the culmen and gonys acute, 

 and very nearly straight, or 

 slightly convex towards the 

 tip; the bill but little broader 

 than high at the base, becoming 

 compressed considerably before 

 the middle. Feet much as in 

 Campephilus ; the outer pos- 

 terior toe longest ; the outer 

 anterior about intermediate 

 between it and the inner an- 

 Picus viiiosus. terior ; the inner posterior 



reaching to the base, of the claw 

 of the inner anterior. Tarsus about equal to the inner anterior toe ; shorter than the 

 two other long toes. Wings rather long, reaching to the middle of the tail, rather rounded ; 

 the fourth and fifth quills longest; the quills rather broad and rounded. 



In the genus Picus, as characterized above, are contained several sub- 

 divisions more or less entitled to distinct rank, and corresponding with 

 peculiar patterns of coloration. Thus, taking the P. viiiosus as the type, P. 

 torealis has proportionally much longer primaries ; the spurious primary 

 smaller ; the bill is considerably more attenuated, and even concave in its 

 lateral outlines. The wings are still longer in P. alholarvatus. The species 

 may be arranged as follows : — 



A. Black above, and white beneath. Wings spotted with white ; a black 

 tnaxillary stripe. 



a. Two white stripes on the side of the head, one above, and the other 

 below, the ear-coverts, which are mostly black. First quill shorter than 

 sixth. Tail-feathers broad and obtuse at ends, the narrowed tips of middle 

 feathers very short. 



DRYOBATES, Boie. Middle of back streaked longitudinally and con- 

 tinuously with Avhite. Maxillary and auricular black stripes not con- 

 fluent ; the latter running into the black of the nape. Beneath white 

 without spots. Red of head confined to a narrow nuchal band. 



1. P. viiiosus. Outer tail-feathers immaculate white, great va- 

 riation in size with latitude. Length, 7.00 to 10.00. 



All the quills, with middle and greater wing-coverts, with 

 large white spots. Hab. Eastern North America . var. v ill onus. 



Innermost quills and some of the coverts entirely black, 

 or unspotted with white. Remaining spots reduced in size. 



