PTC'ID.T: — THE WOODPECKEUS. 



547 



rado, shot on the 12tli of March, 18(51. In Sc])teniber, lS»j:i, he ibund tlieni 

 rather common near the summit of the Sierra Nevada, latitude M9, where he 

 shot two. It has since l)een met with at Laramie Peak, and near the mouth 

 of the Klamatli IJiver. 



It was iound liy Mr. IJidgway on the eastern slope ot the Sierra Xevada, 

 and again on the Wahsatcli Mountaius ; in hoth regions inhabiting the pine 

 forests exclusively, and in neither place at all common. It occurred so sel- 

 dom that Air. Piidgway c(ndd learn but little concerning the peculiarities of 

 its habits, etc. Its common note is a plaintive wailing squeal, nnicli like 

 that of S. variiis (connnon to all the membei's of the genus), but other notes 

 were heard which were quite peculiar. 



Sphyropicus thyroideus, Baird. 



BBOWN-HEADED WOODPECKEB. 



Picus thyroideus, Cassix, Pr. A. N. Sc. V, Dec. 1851, 349 ^California). — Heeumaxn', 

 J. A. N. So. Ph. 2d ser. II, 18,53, 270. — Sundevall, Consp. 32. Mclancrpcs thi/ru- 

 ideus. Cassis', 111. I, 1854, 201, pi. xxxii. Plhuunus thijroiiieus, Bon. Cuii.sp. Zygod. 

 Ateii. Ital. 1854, 8. SpJiiiropicim tIii(i'oid4:iis, l>AiKn, Birds X. Am. 18.'j8, lOtJ. — 

 Elliot, 111. Birds N. Am. II, pi. — Coues, P. A. X. S. 1806, 54. — Cass. P. A. X. 8. 

 1863, 204. — Gp.ay, Cat. 52. — Elliot, B. Am. I, pi. xxxv. — Coopku, Orn. Cul. I, 

 1870, 394. '! ! Ficus nataluK, Malhekci;, Ci'b. .loiirii. f. Oinith. 1854, 171. 



Sp. Ciiak. About the size of P. ran'us. Head dark asliy-brown ; general color ashy- 

 brown ; head and neck scarcely marked: middle line of lielly sulphur-yeliow ; rump and 

 upper coverts pure white; rtvst of In^dy apparentlv encircled by nai row transverse and 

 continuous bands (crossing the wings and tail) of l»la«-k, the outer spaces becoming Avhiter 

 behind; a large round black patch on th«' breast. X(^ red <>n toj) of the head. Male with 

 reddish chin. Length, al)out 9.00; wing, o.OO ; tail, 4.10. 



IIm;. Cascade and Coast Ranges of California and Oregon; Sierra Xevada. Wahsatch, 

 and Uocky Mountains. Localities: West Arizona (Coues, P. A. N. S. 18GG. 54). 



In addition to the characters already assigned, the crown of the head is 

 indistinctly streaked or spotted with black. The under coverts are barred 

 with black. The tail-feathers are black, the inner and outer barred trans- 

 versely witli white on both webs ; the shafts, however, entirely black. The 

 quills are all s]»otted with white on both webs. 



The jugular black patch shows more or less indication of the transverse 

 bands, and is sometimes wanting, leaving the bands distinct. In one s])eci- 

 men (38,28r) 9 , Laramie Pi^ak) it is remark.il»ly large and almost unbroken, 

 while the black malar stripe is decidedly indicated ; on the back the black 

 bars much exceed in width the light ones, which are nearly white. Tlie 

 generic rictal white stripe is usually inappreciable, as also the black maxil- 

 lary one, although both can be detected in some si>ecimens. 



A young bird is not L<,ppreciably different from the adult. 



Habits. Dr. Cooper regards this bird as (piite a rare species. He has 

 never met with it, and doubts if it is ever found so far south as San P'ran- 



