528 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Picoides aretirus. 



(Jkxls picoides, Lacep. 



Picoiifi's, La<'EP. Mom. Inst. I'W. tTyiH", rUtm truUutifhia.) 

 Triddffiflid, SiKl'll. Shaw, i'n-u. Zool. l^\o. 

 Apfcrnus, Sw. F. W. A. II, isai, 311. 



Gkn. Ciiah. Bill about a-s loiij; iis the lu-jul, vtTV nm«*h dcprosscd nt the basr : the 



(Mitliues in'arly straiirht ; the laleral 

 ii(lji«' at its l»j»se iniich nearer the 

 eoinmissure than the eiihiien, so as 

 to l>iin<; the larp'. rather linear nos- 

 tiils close to the edj/e oftheeommis- 

 sure. The<ronys very huifx. eijual to 

 thedij*tanee lioni the nostrils to the 

 tip of the bill. Feet with only 

 three toes, the first or inni-r hinder 

 one l)einjr wantinir ; the outer 

 lateral a little lonirer than the 

 inner, but sli<;htly exeeeded by the 

 hind toe, whieh is about equal to 

 the tarsus. Winjr-s very lonpr, 

 reaehing beyond tlu' nnddle of the 

 tail, the tip of the fust quill 

 between those of sixth and seventh. 

 Color black above, with a broad patch of yellow on the crown; white beneath, trans- 

 versely banded on the sides. Quills, but not wing-covert.s, with round spots. Lateral 

 tail-feathers white, without bands on exposed portion, exce{)t in European specinien.s. 



The i^eculiarities of this jjfenus consist in tlie ah.sence of the inner liind 

 toe mid tlie great depression of the hill. The tiLjure ahove fails to represent 

 the median ridge of the bill as viewed from ahove. 



Common Characters. The American species of Piroidrs ajrree in being black above 

 and white beneath; the crown with a square yellow patch in the male; a white stripe 

 behind the eye, and another from the loral region beneath the eye ; the (piills (but not 

 the coverts) spotted with white ; the sides banded transversely^ with black. The diagnostic 

 characters (including the European species) are as follows: — 



Species and Varieties. 



P. arcticiis. Dorsal region without Avhitc markings; no supialoral white 

 stripe or streak, nor nuchal band of white. Four middle tail-feathers wholly 

 black; the next pair with the basal half black ; the outer two pairs almost 

 wholly white, Avithout any dark bars. Entire sides heavily banded with 

 black; crissum immaculate: sides of the breast continuously black. $• 

 Crown with a patch of yellow, varying from lemon, through gamboge, to 

 orange, and not surrounded by any whitish markings or suffusion. 9* 

 Crown lustrous black, without any yellow, and destitute of white streaks 

 or other markings. Wing. 4.85 to 5.25; tail, 3.00 ; culmen, 1.40 to 1.55. 

 Hah. Northern parts of North America. In winter just within the 

 northern border of the United States, but farther south on high mountain- 

 ranges. 



