I'ICID.K -TIIK WOODPECKERS. 515 



PicuB scalaris, Waciler. 



LADDEB-BACKED WOODPECKEB. 



Picua sculiris, W.vfJLF.n, Isis, 182y, V, 511 (Mt-xirO. - Uonai". Corisp. IS.'.O, 138. Sci,. 

 r. Z. S. 18:*0, 3U7. — ScM). ConHp. is. — nxiiin, Uir.ls X. Am. 18:.«, 94, \A. xli, 1. 1. 

 — In. lUp. M.x. i;oim.l. II, 4, pi. iii. — SrL. Cut. iSti'J, yjy. -- Cass. \\ A. N. S. 

 18G;{, 11»5. — iliiAV, Cat. 1^08, 48. — Hkkum. X, <, p. 18. C..«ii'i u, Orii. Cal. I, 

 1870, 37l>. PieiiH{/ti/c/ii>jtini.s) saifiiris, lloN. Coiisp. Zv^imI. At«n. Itul. !>*».'» t, 8. />//- 

 tio/ti'iM) Hi'utariH, Cau, k lli:iN. Mils. 74. Picas ijnici/is, Ia.ss. \Uv. Zool. 1^;J•.», 1m» 

 (Mi.xiiu). /'((w/.s paivii.s, <'Aiu»r, IJtwton Jcnir. N. II. V, 1845, 1m> ^SUal, Yututan). 

 Pii-UH uriziiha; Ca.s.sis, Vy. A. N. S. 1803, I'.M} (( Mi/al>a). Pknn Ltjijohts, Cas,si.\, I'r. 

 A. X. S. 18(>3, VM> ; .Join. .V. X. S. V, ls03, 40(», i»l. Hi, f. 1 tM»x.). Pinm iMiirdi 

 (S» I,. MSS.), M vi.iiKiihF., Mon. He. I, 118, t. xxvii, f. 7, 8. — Scl. Cat. 333, (?) P. Z. S. 

 64, 177 (<ity of M.x.). —Cab. k Hkin. Mus. Htin. IV, 2, 76. — Cas.^in, Pi. A. X. S. 

 18*53, r.MJ. — CuiKs, Vv. A. X. S. 18G0, 52 (iK-rhaps var. [/rdi/soiii). — Duk.nskk, Ibis 

 1865, 468. //"/». Tt'xas ami XfW Mexico, to Ari/ona ; south tliroiigli Kastnii .Mcxii o 

 to Yiuataii. PiniH soi/nris, var. (jraijuuni, Daiud, MSS. Uab. Wt-sttTii Ari/oii.i ; 

 Wi'stiTii Mexico and Tres Maiiiis. 



Sp. Char. Back banded transversely with black and wliite from nape to rnmp (not 

 upper tail-coverts). Quills and coverts with spots of white; forniinj^ bands on the 

 Secondaries. Two white stripes on sich-s of head. Top of head red, spotted with whit«\ 

 Nasal tufts brown. Beneath brownish-wliite, with black .spots on side.-*, becoming bands 

 behind. Outer tail-feathers nu)re or less banded. Length, about 0.50; wing, 3.50 to 

 4..')0; tail, about 'J..')(K 



IIab. Guatemala, Mexico, and adjacent southern parts of United States. Localities: 

 Xalapa (ScL. P. Z. S. 18.VJ, .Hu) : Cordova (Sci.. 18.'>0, 357); Guatemala (Scl. Il)is, I, 

 130); Orizaba (Scl. Cat. 333); S. E. Texas (Drksskh, Ibis, 18(55, 408, breeds); W. 

 Arizona (Colks, P. A. N. S. 180G, .j2); Yucatan (Lawu. Ann. N. Y. Lye. IX, 205). 



Ill the above diagno.sis we liave eiuleavored to expres.s the average of 

 character.s beh^nging to a Wooilpecker to wliieh many names, based on 

 trilling geograpliical variations, have been assigned, but which legitiniatciy 

 can be only considered as one species. This is among the smallest of tin; 

 North American Woodpeckers, and in all its variations the wings are L>ng, 

 reaching as far as the short feathers of the tail. The upper parts generally 

 are black, on the back, rump, and exposed feathers of the wings banded 

 transversely with white, the black bands rather the narrower ; the quills and 

 larger coverts spotted with the same on both webs, becoming bands on the 

 innermost secondaries. The upper tail-coverts and two inner tail-feathers 

 on either side are black. The white bands of the back extend all the way 

 up to the neck, without any interscapular interruption. The under parts 

 are of a pale smoky brownish-white, almost w^tli a lilac tinge ; on the sides 

 of the breast and belly are a few scattered small but elongated spots. The 

 posterior parts of the sides under the wing and the under tail-coverts are 

 obscurely l)anded transversely witli black. The top of the head, extending 

 from a narrow sooty frontlet at the base of the bill to a short, broad nuchal 

 crest, is crimson in the male, each feather with a white spot between the 



