524 



NORTH AMHUU'AN BIKDS. 



Picus borealls, Vikill. 



BED-COCXADEO WOODPECKXB. 



PicHs f>orrah'.'i, Vfkii.i.ot, Ois. Am. S»'|»t, II, 1807, tJfi, pi. cxxii. — Stephens, in Shaw*.s 

 Gen. Zool. IX, 1^17, 174.— lUii:i), nirds X. Am. 1858, 96. — Ca.^.sin, I'r. A. N. S. 

 1803, 201. - GuAV, Ciital. 18»JN, 50. — .U.I.IN, H. K. Vhx. 305. — Sinukvall, Consji. 

 1866, 2\. ThtrtiKpijio hoi'i'iiUs, V\\\. k Hein. Mils. Hcin. IV, 2, 7o. /'icus i/nirulii.'^, 

 Wii><».v, Am. Orn. II, 1810, 10.3, pi. xv, f. 1. — Waolei:, Syst. Av. 1827, No. 21.— 

 In. Isis, 1821», 510. -- Arn. Orn. llio^. V, 1831», 12, pi. teclxxxix. — In. Hinls Am. IV, 

 1842, 254, pi. c.lxiv. — Bi". Coiisp. 1850, 137. — Cas.sin, Pr. A. N.S. 18G3 (.southernmost 

 race). J'iriis (I'/nrtiopicux) qiuruhDi, Hi'. Consp. Zyg. Aton. Ital. 1854, 8. Picus kucotis, 

 Illiceh (fide Li«lit«'n.st«'in in letter to Waaler ; j«rliaps only a catalogue name). — 

 LicHT. Vt'izeicli. 1823, 12, No. 81. Picus vicif/,>fi, Wagleu, Sy.st. Av. 1827, No. 20. 



Sp. CnAR. Fourth (luill (not counting the spurious) longest. First nearer tip of fifth 

 than of sixth, internu'diate between the two. Uj>{u'r parts, with top and sides of the 

 head, 1 (lack. Hack, rump, and scapulars handed transversely with white; quills spotted 

 with white on both wehs; middle^ and gicater coverts spotte<l. Bristles of bill, undiM* 

 parts generally, and a silky patch on the side of the head, white. Sides of breast and 

 body streaked with black. First and second outer tail-feathers white, barred with black 

 on inner web. Outer web of the third mostly white. A short, very inconspicuous 

 narrow streak of silkv scarlet on the side of the head a short «listance bebind the eve. 

 along the junction of the white and black (this is wanting in the female) ; a narrow short 

 line of white just above the eye. Length, about 7.25 ; wing, 4.50; tail, .■].25. 



Hab. Southern States, becoming very rare north to Pennsylvania. 



This species differs from the other baiuled Woodpeckers, as stated in the 

 diagnosis, in having a large jiatch of white behind the eye, inchuling the 

 ears and sides of head, and not traversed hy a hhick post-ocular stripe. Tlie 

 bands of the back, as in P. nuttaUi, do not reach the nape, nor extend over 

 the upjier tail-covert. Tlie wliite patch occupies almost exactly the same 

 area as the black one in mdtaUi ; the white space covered by the supra- 

 orbital and malar stripes, and the white patch on side of nape, of the latter 

 species being here black. 



According to Mr. ( 'assin, southern sjiecimens which he distinguishes as 

 P. qvrnihis from P. horcalis of Pennsylvania, differ in smaller number of 

 transverse bars on the back, and shorter quills, and in fewer white spots on 

 the wing-coverts and outer i)rimaries. The black l)and on the back of neck 

 is wider. This therefore exhibits the same tendency to melanism, in more 

 southern specimens, that has been already indicated for P. vilhsua, scalaris, 

 etc. 



Habits. The Red-cockaded Woodpecker has a restricted distribution to the 

 Southeastern Atlantic States, being rarely met with so fiir north as Pennsyl- 

 vania. Georgia and Florida are tlie only localities represented in the Smith- 

 sonian collection, thougli other Southern States not named have furnished 

 specimens. It has been met with as far to the west as Eastern Texas and the 

 Indian Territory, where Dr. Woodhouse speaks of having found them com- 



