PICID.E — TlIK WOODPECKERS. 517 



iuarked, sometimes with only one spot on outer web; the third liiis the 

 black scallops restricted. This may l)e called var. i/nft/soni, as most speci- 

 mens in the Smithsonian collection were furnished by Colonel Grayson. 

 The size is equal to the lari^est typical snt/arus. 



We next come to the ('a})e ^t. Luciis bird, described by ^Ir. Xantus as P. 

 luiasanus. Here tlie bill and feet become dis])roportionally larger and more 

 robust than in any described ; the black bands of the back larj^jer than the 

 white, perhaps fewer in nundjer. The continuous red of the head also aj)- 

 ])ears restricted to a stripe above and behind the eye and on the occiput, al- 

 thouLijh there are some scattered feathei"s as far forward as above the eyes. 

 The specimens are, however, not in very good jdumage, and this marking 

 cannot be very well defined; the red mav reallv l)e as continuous forward as 

 in the last variety. The nasal tufts are brown, as in the typical scalaris. 

 The outer three tail-feathers in most specimens show still more white, with 

 one or two indistinct terminal bands only on the outer two ; one or two 

 additional S]»ots, especially on inner web, and the sub-basal patch of inner 

 web greatly reduced. Specimens vary here in this res})ect, as in other races 

 of sraho'ifi, but the average is as described. 



Notwithstanding the decided difl'erence between typical sralaris and liira- 

 sanus,i\\v. discovery of the ydriety f/nti/iioni makes it possible to consider both 

 as extremes of one s])ecies. To miftaUi, however, it is but one step farther ; 

 a restriction of the red to the posterior half of the top of head, the wliite 

 instead of brown nasal feathers, and the whiter under j)arts l)eing the only 

 positive characters. The markings of the tail are almost identical with those 

 of lucasanus. The anterior portion of the back is, however, not banded, as 

 in the several varieties described. For this reason it may therefore be ques- 

 tioned whether, if lacaaanns and scalar is are one, nuttalli should not belong 

 to the same series. 



We thus find that the amount of black on the tail is greatest in South- 

 ern and Southeastern Mexican specimens, and farther north it begins to 

 diminish ; in Western Mexico it is still more reduced, while at Cape St. 

 Lucas the white is as great in amount as in the Upper Californian P. 

 iiuttallL 



The characters given above for the different varieties or races of Picus 

 scalar ui, as far as they relate to the tail, may be expressed in the following 

 table, illustrated by the accompanying diagram, showing the markings of 

 outer tail-feather in sca/flr« and ><«//«// 1. 



Outer tail-feathers with seven distinct transverse black bands. 



These bands confhient on iinier web near the base . . var.scaJaris. 



Bands distinct on inner web vai. bairdi. 



Bands on outer tail-feather distinct on t)uter webs at end only, obsolete 

 or wantinij towards base (as in nnttalU). 



Tarsus, .08. Bill and leirs as in average .... var. graysont. 



Tarsus, .78. Bill Pud legs very stout .... var. lucasanus. 



