494 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Outer hind toe moderately longer than the outer fore toe. Primaries 

 broad to the tip, and rounded. Spurious primary not one third the 

 second quill. 



3. Picoides. Lateral ridfre below the middle of the protile, opposite 

 the end ol' the ovate acute nostrils, which it greatly overhangs. Bill 

 greatly depressed ; lower mandible deeper than the upper. Inner 

 hind toe wanting, leaving only three toes. Tufts of uasal bristles very 

 full and long. 



b. Lateral ridge starting below the middle of the base of the bill, and 

 running lu? a distimt ridge into the edge of the conunissure at about its 

 midille ; the terminal half of the mandible rounded on the sides, although 

 the truncate tip is distinctly bevelled laterally. » 



4. Sphyropicus. Nostrils considerably overhung by the lateral ridge, 

 very small, linear. Gonys as long as the culmen, from the nostrils. 

 Tips of tail-feathers elongated and linear, not cuneate. Wings very 

 long ; exposed portion of spurious primary about one fourth that of 

 second quill. 



B« Posterior outer toe considerably shorter than the anterior outer one. (Fourth 

 toe shorter than third). 



5. Hylotomus. Bill depressed. Lateral ridge above the middle of 

 the lateral prolile near the base. Nostrils elliptical, wide, and rounded 

 anteriorly. Tail almost as in Splnjropicus. A pointed occipital crest, 

 as in Ciimpephilus^ and not found in the other genera. 



The arrangement in the preceding diagnosis i.s perhaps not perfectly 

 natural, although sufficiently so for our present purpose. Thus, Hylotomus, 

 in having the lateral ridge extending to the end of the bill, is like Picas, 

 but the nostrils are broader, more open, and not acute anteriorly. The tail- 

 feathers of Sphyropicus differ greatly from those of the others in being 

 abruptly acuminate, the points elongated, narrow, and nearly linear, instead 

 of being gently cuneate at the ends. Ccdnpcpliilus and Hylotomus belong 

 to Sundevall's August icoUcs, with their long slender neck, and elongated 

 occipital crest {Di'yocopina\ Cab.) ; the other genera to Sccurirostres, with 

 shorter, thicker neck, and no crest {Hendrocopince, Cab.). But no two 

 genera iu the subfamily are more distinct than Campcphiliis and Hylotomus. 



< 



o 



Genus CAMFEPHILUS, Gray. 



Crtm^j9A/7M,9, Gr.\y, List of Genera? 1840. (Vy\}G, C. principalis.) 

 MajapiciiSy Malherbe, Mem. Ac. de Metz, 1S49, 317. 



Gen. Guar. Bill considerably longer than the head, much depressed, or broader than 

 high at the base, becoming somewhat compressed near the middle and gradually bevelled 

 off at the tip. Culmen verv sliirhtlv curved, cronvs as concave, the curve scarcely ap- 

 preciable ; commissure straight. Culmen with a parallel riilge on each side, starting a 

 little al)Ove the centre of the basal outline of the bill, the ridge projecting outwards and 

 downwards, and a slight concavity l)etween it and the acute ridge of the culmen. Gonys 

 consi<lerably more than half the commissme. Nostrils oval below the lateral ridge near 

 the base of the hill; cont^oaled by the bristly feathers directed forward. Similar feathers 

 are seen at the sides of the lower jaw and on the chin. 



