18 PILEATED WOODPECKER. 



to the sides, spreading under the wings; the upper half of the 

 wings, are white, but concealed by the black coverts; the lower 

 extremities of the wings are black; so that the white on the wing 

 is not seen but when the bird is flying, at which time it is very 

 prominent; the tail is tapering, the feathers being very convex 

 above and strong; the legs are of a leaden gray colour, very 

 short, scarcely half an inch, the toes very long, the claws strong 

 and semicircular, and of a pale blue; the bill is fluted, sharply 

 ridged, very broad at the base, bluish black above, below and at 

 the point bluish white; the eye is of a bright golden colour; the 

 pupil black; the tongue, like those of its tribe, is worm-shaped, 

 except near the tip, where for one-eighth of an inch it is horny, 

 pointed, and beset with barbs. 



The female has the forehead, and nearly to the crown, of a 

 light brown colour, and the mustaches are dusky instead of red. 

 In both, a fine line of white separates the red crest from the 

 dusky line that passes over the eye. 



