THE WILLIAMSON SAPSUCKER. 437 



removed. Their surface is highly i)olished, and their texture varied, giving 

 an effect as of water-nuukcd Hncn paper, in lieavv 1)rancliing lines and coarse 

 frost-work patterns. 



No. 174. 



WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER. 



.\. (X I. Xii. 404. Sphyrapicus thyroideus (Cass.). 



Synonyms. — Williamson's W'oodpeckek. Red-throatld Woodpecker 

 (male). r.Ro\v.\-nE.\i)Ki) Woodpecker (female). Black-breasted Wood- 

 pecker ( female ). 



Description. — Adult male: In general glossy black including wings and tail ; 

 throat, narrowly, scarlet; belly gamboge yellow; sides, flanks, lining of wings and 

 under tail-coverts more or less mingled with white, — black-and-white barred, or 

 marked with black on white ground ; a broad oblique bar on wing-coverts and 

 small more or less ])aired spots on wing-c|uills and upper tail-coverts, white ; a 

 white post-ocular stripe and a transverse stripe from extreme forehead passing 

 below eye to side of neck. Hill slaty ; feet greenish gray with black nails ; iris dark 

 brown. Adult female: Very different; in general, closely barred black-and-white, 

 or black-and-brownish ; breast only pure black, in variable extent ; whole head 

 nearly uniform hair-brown, but showing traces of irrupting black; post-ocular 

 stripe of male faintly indicated and occasionally with touch of red on throat ; 

 some intermediate rectrices black but exposed surfaces of central and outer tail- 

 feathers black-and-white barred ; white spots of wing-quills larger, paired, and 

 changing to bars on inner cjuills. Young male: Like adult male, but black not 

 glossy; belly paler; throat white. Young female: Like adult female but barring 

 carried across head, neck, throat, and breast. Length of adult: 9.00-9.75 (228.6- 

 247.6) : wing 5.25 ( 133.3) : t^'l 3-^° (96.5) ; bill .90-1.15 (22.9-29.2). 



Recognition Marks. — Small Robin size; fine barring of female distinctive; 

 extensive black of male with white head-stripes, white rump (upper tail-coverts) 

 and white wing-bar; ])allcrn of uiiderparts (in male) clearly a modification of 

 that of .S". v. nuchalis. but red of throat much reduced, and black much extended. 



Nesting. — Xest: A hole excavated by birds at any height in live deciduous 

 tree or dead conifer. Eggs: 3-7, usually 4, white. .\v. size. .96 x .67 (24.4 x 17). 

 Season: Ma\-June; one brood. 



General Range. — Western United States chiefly in nionntains and foothills 

 from eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains to western slope9»of Sierra-Cascades, 

 breeding from mountains of Arizona and New Mexico north to British Columbia 

 (in the valley of the ( )kanagan ) ; south in winter to Southwestern States and 

 Mexico. 



Range in Washington. — Suininer resident chiefly on eastern slopes of the 

 Cascade^. 



Authorities.— Bendire, Life Hist. N. .\. B.irds. \ol. II. 1895, p. 97. D-'. 



Specimens. — C. 



