PICID.E — THE WOODPKCKERS. 



495 



Feet large; outer liiinl toe nmch lotiirrst ; claw of innrr fore too n'arhing to middle of 

 outer fore claw : inner hind too scarcrlv more than half the outer one ; its diiw reaching 

 as far as tiie hase of the inner anterior claw, considerahly more tlian half the outer 

 anterior toe. Tarsus rather shorter than the inner t'ore toe. Tail long, euneate; shafts 

 of the four middle feathers ahrujUly much larger than the others, and with a deep groove 



' Campej^ilus principalis. 



running continuouf^ly along their under surface ; webs of the two middle feathers 

 deflected, almost against each other, so that the feathers appear narrower at the base 

 than terminally. Wings long and pointed, the third, fourth, and fifth quills longest; 

 sixth secondary longest, leaving six '' tertials," instead of three or four as usual ; primaries 

 long, attenuated. Color continuous black, relieved by white patches. Head with a 

 pointed occipital crest. 



This genus embraces the largest known kind of "Woodpecker, and is con- 

 fined to America. Of the two species usually assigned to it, only one occurs 

 within the limits of the United States, C. impcrialis, given by Audubon, 

 and by subsequent authors on his credit, really belonging to Southern ^lexico 

 and (^entral America. The diagnoses of tlie species are as follows : — 



