540 



NOUTil AMERICAN BlllDH. 



posc'tl -uilact' of tinills without any white, except on the otitor priinarioi;. Female with 

 tlie ehiii white instead ot n-d. Lenjjth, IUK»; wintr. '>.'>•); tail, 4.70. 



IIab. liocky Mountains to the Cascade Mountains, Sierra Nevada. Localities: West 

 Arizona (Couks, V. A. N. S. 18GG, 54). 



Head and neck all round, sides of ])reast and body, upper parts jjenerjilly, 

 win^s, and tail, glossy greenish-Mack. A well-detined white stripe from the 

 nostrils (including tlie bristly nasal feathers) passing backwards luider the 

 eye ; anotlier, nearly parallel, starting Jit the ui)per part of the eye, and nearly 

 meeting its fellow on tlic occiput. Chin and throat red along tlieir central 

 line. A large patcli on the wing, including the exposed ]»ortions of the 

 middle ancl greater coverts, white, although the anterior lesser coverts are 

 black. The inner face of the wings, excepting the smaller coverts, is black, 

 banded transversely on the inner primaries witli white ; the sides of body 

 behind and under tail-coverts white, with broadly V-shaped bands of black, 

 whicli color on the latter occupies the whole central portion of the feath- 

 ers, liuni]) and upper tail-coverts pure white ; back with a few indistinct 

 and concealed spots of the same. Quills black; the margins of exterior 

 primaries s})otte(l with white, the inner margins only of the remaining quills 

 with similar but larger and more transxerse T)lotches. Middle of the body, 

 from the breast to the vent, sulj>hur-yellow, with the exception of the 

 type which had been preserved in alcohol (which sometimes extracts the 

 red of feathers). We have seen no specimen (except 3'oung birds, marked 

 female), in a considerable number, without red on the chin, and are inclined 

 to think that both sexes exhi'hit this character. Young birds from the IJocky 

 Mountains are verv similar to the adult, but have the throat marked white, 

 and the inner web of innermost tail-feather banded with the same color. 

 Xo. 16,09(1, (? ad. (Fort Crook, California), has a single crimson feather in 

 the middle of the forehead. 



Habits. This comparatively new species of Woodpecker was first dis- 

 covered bv Dr. Xewberrv in the ])in'b forest on the eastern border of the 

 upper Klamath Lake. Its habits ajipeared to him to be very similar to those 

 of P. Jidrrisi and P. f/fdrd/uri, wliich inhabit the same region. The indi- 

 vidual he procuretl was creeping up the trunk of a large yellow ])ine (P. bra- 

 cJtyptcra), searching for insects in the ])ark. Its cry was very like that of 

 P. linrrid. Altliough killed by the first fire, a second discharge was required 

 to detach it from the limb to which it clung fiist. 



According to Dr. Coues, it is resident and not unconnnon in the Territory 

 of Arizona, occurring exclusively among the ])ine-trees. It is said to range 

 from both slojies of the Kocky Mountains to the Pacific, from as far north 

 at least as Oregon. Fort Whi]>[>le is su])])osed to be about its southern 

 limit. Dr. Coues states that this species possesses the anaionncal pectiliari- 

 ties of the S. varius, and that its liabits entirely correspond. Mr. Allen found 

 it abundant on the sides of ^Mount Lincoln, in Colorado Territory. 



Dr. Cooj>er met with a straggler of this species in the valley of the Colo- 



