PICID^ — THE WOODPECKERS. 521 



Picus nuttalli, Gambel. 



NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER. 



Picus nuttalli, Gambel, Pr. A. N. Sc. I, April, 1843, 259 (Los Angeles, Cal.). — Baird, 

 Birds N. Am. 1858, 93. — Sundevall, Consp. Pic. 19. — Malh. Mon. Pic. I, 100. — 

 Cassin, p. a. N. S. 1863, 195. —Gray, Cat. 1868, 50. —Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 

 378. Picus scalaris, (Wagler) Gambel, J. A. N. Sc. Ph. 2d ser. I, Dec. 1847, 55, 

 pi. ix, f. 2, 3 (not of Wagler). Picus loilsoni, Malherbe, Rev. Zool. 1849, 529. — 

 BoNAP. Consp. 1850, 138. Picus {Tric]u)2ncus) wilsoni, Bonap. Consp. Zyg. Aten. 

 Ital. 1854, 8. 



Sp. Char. Back black, banded transversely with white, but not on upper tail-coverts, 

 nor as far forward as the neck. Greater and middle coverts and quills with spots or 

 bands of white. Crown black, with white spots, sometimes wanting. On the nape a 

 patch of white, behind this unhanded black. Occiput and nape crimson in the male. 

 Tufts of feathers at the base of the bill white. Sides of the head black, with two white 

 stripes, one above the eye and passing down on the side of the neck, the other below 

 and cut off behind by black. Under parts smoky yellowish-white, spotted on the sides 

 of the breast, and banded on flank and crissum with black. Predominant character of 

 the outer tail-feather white, with two or three interrupted bands towards end ; none at 

 base. Length, about 7.00 ; wing, 4.50. Female with the top of the head uniform black, 

 or sometimes spotted with white. 



Hab. Coast region of California. 



Third, fourth, and fifth quills nearly equal and longest ; second inter- 

 mediate between the seventh and eighth. General color above black, barred 

 transversely with white on the back, rump, and Hanks ; the upper surface 

 of tail and tail-coverts, and a broad patcli on the upper part of the back about 

 half an inch long, pure black. Tlie white bands measure about .12 of an 

 inch, the black about twice as much. The top of the head is black, each 

 feather with a short streak of white ; on the extreme occiput and the nape 

 is a transverse patch of crimson, each feather having a white spot just below 

 the crimson. The crimson patch is usually as far from the base of the bill 

 above as this is from its point. The sides of the head may be described as 

 black ; a white stripe commences on the upper edge of the eye, and, passing 

 backwards, margins the crimson, and extends on down the side of the neck 

 to a patch of white, apparently connected with its fellow on the opposite 

 side by white spots. Another narrow white stripe commences at the 

 nostrils, (the bristles of which are whitish,) and passes as far as the occiput, 

 where it ceases in the middle of the black of the cheeks. There are thus 

 two white streaks on tlie side of the head bordering a black one passing 

 through the eye. The under parts generally are white, with a dirty yellow 

 tinge. The sides of the breast and body are faintly streaked with black ; 

 the flanks barred with the same. The under coverts are barred with black. 



The three outer tail-feathers are yellowish-white, with two or three inter- 

 rupted bars of black on the posterior or terminal fourth, and a concealed 

 patch of black on the inner web near the end. Only the terminal band is 



vol. II. 66 



