500 



NORTH AMKIUCAN BlUDS. 



Picus viUosus. 



Genus PZCUS, Lixn.«:u8. 



Picus, Linn. Syst. Nat. 1748. (Tyix*, Picus martiiu% L.) 



Gen. Char. JJill equal to the IhnkI, or a little longer ; the lateral ridfjes conspiouoiis, 



starting about the iui<M!e of tho 

 base of the bill ; the basal 

 elonjrated oval nostrils nearest 

 the eoMiinissure ; the ridj^es of 

 the euhnen ami gonys a«.'ute, 

 and very nearly straight, or 

 slightly eonvex towards the 

 tip; the bill but little broader 

 than high at the base, bccominj^ 

 conipressod eonsiderably before 

 the middle. Feet niueh as in 

 Cninpephibis ; the outer pos- 

 terior toe longest ; the outer 

 anterior about intermediate 

 between it and the inner an- 

 terior ; the inner posterior 

 reaching to the base of the claw 

 of the inner anterior. Tarsus about ecpial to the inner rnterior toe ; shorter than the 

 two other long toes. Win^is rather long, reaching to the middle of the lail, rather rounded ; 

 the fourth and fifth quills longest : the quills rather broad and rounded. 



In the genus Picus, as characterized above, are contained several sub- 

 divisions more or less entitled to distinct rank, and coiTesponding with 

 peculiar patterns of coloration. Thus, takinj^^ the 1\ rillosus as the type, F. 

 horealU has proportionally much longer primaries ; the spurious primary 

 smaller ; the bill is considerably more attenuated, and even concave in its 

 lateral outlines. Tlie wings are still longer in P. alholarvatus. The species 

 may be arranged as follows : — 



A* Black above, and white beneath. Wings spotted with white ; a black 

 maxillary stripe. 



a. Two white stripes on the side of the head, one above, and the other 

 below, the ear-coverts, which are mostly black. First quill shorter than 

 sixth. Tail-f».'uthers broad and obtuse at ends, the narrowed tips of middle 

 feathers very short. 



DR70BATES, Boie. Middle of back streaked longitudinally and con- 

 tinuously with white. Maxillary an<l auricular black stripes not con- 

 fluent ; the latter running into the black of the nape. Beneath white 

 without .<!pots. Red of head confined to a narrow nuchal band. 



1. P. villosus. Outer tail-featliers immaculate white, great va- 

 riation in si/.e with latitude. Length, 7.00 to 10.00. 



All the quills, with middle and greater wing-coverts, with 

 large white spots. Hah. Eastern North America . var. v ill onus. 

 t Innermost quills and some of the coverts entirely black, 

 or unspotted with white. Remaining spots reduced in si^^e. 



