SPHYRAPICUS VARJIIS. o-J / 



FAMILY I. PICIDyE. TEE TRUE WOODPECKERS. 



Posterior extre77i/ti/ (if the sternum, emurginafe. Scujiu/a hones, truncate. Tait feath- 

 ers, stiifened and acuminate. 



Although I have included all of our Woodpeckers under one Family, yet I am far from 

 bcin^' satisfied with this arrangement as certain strong characters, especially internal, ex- 

 hibited by many of the species, indicate that some of the genera may be grouped into nat- 

 ural families or sections but with the present material which I have at my command, I can 

 do no better than to simply attempt to make what appears to me, a natural arrangement of 

 the geiiora. Although the sternums are tolerably uniform in proportion, yet they exhibit 

 some p(!culiarities. They all agree in having long, tolerably well arched furculas without 

 any terminal expansion. The manubrium varies slightly in size but the main differences 

 lie in the comparative width of the sternum and depth of the marginal indentations. The 

 tongue varies greatly as does also the digestive apparatus, especially the form of the pro- 

 vciifriculus and its accompanying gastric zone, all of which will be given under head of 

 generic characters. 



GENUS I. SPHYRAPICUS. THE YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKERS. 



CiEX. Cn. Sternum, narrow, not twice as wide as the heir/ht of the keel. Marginal indentations, deep, the inner heinrj 

 ejual in depth to the hciijht of the keel and the outer considerably cTceediny it. Mayiubrium, quite larye. Terminal hook of 

 scapula, ani/led on the upper and lower sides. Tonyue , unlhoui extensible sheath, and the eerato-hyalsarenotrjreatlyelon- 

 ijale.d, on! J extending to the middle of the occiput. Proventriculus, not especially cnlare/ed. Salivary ylands, small or ah- 

 -lenl. Upper mandible, hut sliyhtly curved. 



Meml)Rrs of tliis genus are trarLivei-sely banded above and marked on the head with scarlet. The tail feathers arc quite 

 ar'uiiinat^. The hind toe is barely half the length of the outer wliich is projected backward. There is but one .species 

 within (jur limits. 



SPHYRAPICUS VARIUS. 



YeUow-beUied Woodpecker. 



Sphyrapicus carius Baird, Birds N. A.; 185S, 10.3. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cn. Form, not robust. Size, medium. Sternum, not stout. Tongue, long, thin and horny throughout its entire 

 length, provided with fine cilia which fringe the rounded tip and extenil along the sides for three fourths of the terminal 

 portiim. 



Color. Adult male. Above, including wings and tail, lustrous-l)lack with the feathers of the back , rump, and scapu- 

 laries, crossed by bands of white and edged with the .same, especially on the rump where the inner webs of the feathers are 

 wholly white. Tips of all the wing feathers and spots on outer and inner webs, markings on inner webs of central tail 

 feathers, tips of four outer, and line extending along outer web of extreme outer, longitudinal patch in middle of wing form- 

 ed by tippings, and edges of wing coverts, also white. Top of bead and patch on throat, scarlet. Sides of head, occiput, 

 and breast, black, with line passing from back of eye around occiput and one extending from base of bill along sides, white. 

 Remaining under parts, including under wing and tail coverts, white, tinged with .sulphury-yellow, especially an the abdo- 

 men and iiiiJdle of the lower breast. Feathers of the sides and flanks, marked with an-ow-shaped spots of black. Bill, 

 lilack. Feet, greenish-brown. 



Adult female. Similar to the male but lacks the scarlet patch on the throat which is replaced by one of dirty white 

 There is also a hrownisli tinge to the feathers of the sides. 



Younij male. With the general markings of the adult but the white above Ls tinged with hrownish-ycllow and the 

 breast has luit few traces of the black patch but it is replaced by white narrowly banded with dusky. The scarlet fcatheix 

 above and below are more or less mixed with brownish, and sometimes with black. Entire under parts strongly tingc<l with 

 sulpliury-ycUow. lilil, lirown. Feet, greenish. 



