108 NUUTU AMKiaCAX BIRDS. 



• 



em i»oiti()ii of its area of (listiilmtion, \\v find a teiulency to an asliy or 

 brownish tinj^'e on the rump, extending' more or le^JS aloni,' the Uiek ; tew, if 

 any in(h'e<l, heinj; nnifornily hhiek. 



As, however, a ;4('neral expression can he *^\ven to tlie variations referred 

 to, and as they liave an important ge(>;;raj)hical rehitionship, besides a gen- 

 eral (Uagnosis, we give their eharaeters and distribntion in detail. 



The general impression we derive from a study of the series is that tlie 

 amount of white on the wing and else^liere decreases from the Missouri 

 liiver to tlie Pacific, exhibiting its mininnim in Oregon and Washington, pre- 

 cisely as in the small black Woodpeckers ; that in the Great liasin the size 

 of the claws and the length of tail increases considerablv ; that the northern 

 forms are entirely black, and the more southern brown or olivaceous, except 

 on the head. 



The following syno])sis will be found to express the principal chamcteris- 

 tics of the species and their varieties, ])remising that P. anticiin is more dis- 

 tinctlv detinal>le than anv t>f the others. We add the character of the green- 

 bodied ^lexican species t(j complete the series. 



Synopsis of Varieties. 



I. P. enjthroplithaJmns. 



1. Winpr, 3.0') ; tail, 4.20. Outer tail-feather witli terminal lialf of inner w«*l) 

 white. Iris bright red, sometimes paler. Hah. Eastern Province Unitetl 

 States. (Florida in winter.) ..... var. e r ythro pthalmus. 



2. Wing, 2.00 ; tail, 3.75. Outer tail-feather with only terminal fourth of 



inner wel> white. Iris white. Hah. Florida (resident) . . var. alien i. 



II. P. maculatiis. 



A. Interscapulars with white streaks. 

 a. Outer webs of primaries not edged with white at the base. 



1. Above olive-brown, the head and neck, only, continuous l>lack; back 

 streaked with black. White spots on wing-coverts not bordered externally 

 with black. Wing, 3.25; tail, 4.00; hind claw, .44. Hoo. Table-lands of 

 Mexico .......... var. mac ulatus.^ 



2. Above black, tinged with olive on rump, and .sometimes on the nape. 

 White spots as in last. Inner web of lateral tail-feathers with terminal white 

 spot more than one inch long ; outer web broadly edged with white. 

 Wing, 3.45; tail. 4.10; hind claw. .55. Female less deep black than male, 

 with a general slaty-olive cast. Hab. Middle Province of United States, 

 from Fort Tejon, California, to Upper Rio Grande, and from Fort Crook to 



Fort Bridger ......... var. me gal onyx. 



3. Above almost wholly lilack, with scarcely any olive tinge, an<l this only 

 on rump. White spots restricted, and with a distinct black external border. 

 White terminal si)ot on inner Aveb of lateral tail-feather less than one inch 

 long ; outer web almost Avholly black. Wing, 3.40 ; tail. 3.00 ; hind claw, 

 .39. />?>?«?<> deep imiber-brown, instead of black. Hah. Pacific Province of 

 United States, south to San Francisco ; West Humboldt Mountains, var. oregonus. 



1 Pipilo maculatus, Swainson, Philos. Mag., 1827. 



