548 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Cisco. Mr. J. G. Bell, of New York, was the first to meet with this bird in 

 the Lower Sierra Nevada. 



Dr. Heermann procured specimens among the southern mines, near the 

 Colorado Eiver, where they were especially frequenting the pine-trees in 

 search of their food. He saw none of them alight on an oak, thoush those 

 trees were abundant in that locality. It has since been met with near Fort 

 Crook, and Dr. Cooper tiiinks it probable they may be more common in the 

 mountains of Eastern Oregon and in those of Central Utah. 



Dr. Coues says that it is resident, but very rare, in Arizona. It frequents 

 pine-trees by preference. Its range is said to include both slopes of the Eocky 

 Mountains, from Oregon to the Eio Grande, and probably to Sonora. 



Mr. Eidgway met with this rare Woodpecker on the Sierra Nevada and 

 Wahsatch Mountains, where it inhabited the same woods with the S. ivilliam- 

 soiii ; it appeared to have the same manners and notes as that species, but it 

 was so seldom met with that nothing satisfactory could be learned concern- 

 ing its habits. Its conspicuously barred coloration gives it much the appear- 

 ance of a Centurus, when flying. 



Genus HYLOTOMUS, Baird. 



Dryotomus, Malherbe, Mem. Ac. Metz, 1849, 322. (Not of Swainson, 1831.) 

 Dryopicus, Bonap. Consp. Zygod. in Aten. Ital. May, 1854. (Not of Malherbe.) 

 Hylatomus, Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 107. (Type, Picus pileatus.) 

 Phloeotmnus, Cab. & Hein. 1863. (Same type.) 



Gen. Char. Bill a little longer than the head ; considerably depressed, or broader than 

 high at the base ; shaped much as in Campephilus, except shorter, and without the 

 bristly feathers directed forwards at the base of the lower jaw. Gonys about half the 

 length of the commissure. Tarsus shorter than any toe, except the inner posterior. 

 Outer posterior toe shorter than the outer anterior, and a little longer than the inner 

 anterior. Inner posterior very short, not half the outer anterior ; about half the inner 

 anterior one. Tail long, graduated ; the longer feathers much incurved at the tip. Wnig 

 longer than the tail, reaching to the middle of the exposed surface of tail; considerably 

 graduated, though pointed ; the fourth and fifth quills longest. Color uniform black. 

 Head with pointed occipital crest. A stripe from nasal tufts beneath the eye and down 

 side of neck, throat, lining of wing, and basal portion of under surface of quills, white ; 

 some species with the abdomen and sides barred black and brownish-white ; others with 

 a white scapular stripe in addition. Male with whole crown and crest and maxillary 

 patch red ; female with only the crest red. 



This genus is similar in general appearance and size to Campephilus, but 

 differs essentially in many respects ; the differences being, however, mostly 

 those which distinguish all other Woodpeckers from the species of Campe- 

 philus, which is unique in the peculiar structure of the tail-feathers, the great 

 graduation of the tertials (sixth, instead of third or fourth, longest), and very 

 long gonys with the flat tuft of hair like feathers at its base. The less develop- 

 ment of the outer hind toe in Hylatomus, which is about exactly intermediate 



