SPHYRAPICUS VAR1US. 223 



FAMILY I. PICID.E. THE TRUE WOODPECKERS. 



Posterior extremity of the sternum, emarginate. Scapula bones, truncate. Tail feath- 

 ers, stiffened and acuminate. 



Although I have included all of our Woodpeckers under one Family, yet I am far from 

 being satisfied with this arrangement as certain strong characters, especially internal, ex- 

 hibited by many of the species, indicate that some of the genera may be grouped into nat- 

 ural families or sections but with the present material which I have at my command, I can 

 do no better than to simply attempt to make what appears to me, a natural arrangement of 

 the genera. Although the sternums are tolerably uniform in proportion, yet they exhibit 

 some peculiarities. They all agree in having long, tolerably well arched furculas without 

 any terminal expansion. The manubrium varies slightly in size but the main differences 

 lie in the comparative width of the sternum and depth of the marginal indentations. The 

 tongue varies greatly as does also the digestive apparatus, especially the form of the pro- 

 vi'iitriculus and its accompanying gastric zone, all of which will be given under head of 

 generic characters. 



I;KN T USI. SPHYRAPICUS. THE YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKERS. 



(EX. Cn. Sternum, narrow, not twice ax wide as the height of the keel. Marginal indentations, deep, the inner being 

 equal in dr/ith to the heiyht of the keel and the outer considerably exceeding it. Manubrium, quite large. Terminal hook of 

 scapula, any/' i/ on the upper and lower sides. Tonyue, without extensible sheath, and the cerato-hyati are not greatly clon- 

 yaii-d, <>n/i/ rrtmdiny to the middle of the occiput. Proventriculus, not especially enlarged. Salivary glands, small or ab- 

 sent. Upper mam/ilt/c, but sliyhtly curved. 



Members of tliis genus are transversely banded above and marked on the head with scarlet. The tail feathers arc quite 

 acuminate. The hind toe is barely half the length of the outer which is projected backward. There is but one species 

 within our limits. 



SPHYRAPICUS VARIUS. 



Yellow -bellied Woodpecker. 



Sphyrapicus varius BAIRD, Birds N. A.; 1858, 103. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. Cn. Form, not robust. Size, medium. Sternum, not stout. Tongue, long, thin and horny throughout its entire 

 lonirth, \<T<I\ Mfd with fine cilia which fringe the rounded tip and extend along the sides for three fourths of the terminal 

 portion. 



COLOR. Adult male. Above, including wings and tail, lustrous-black with the feathers of the back, rump, and scapu- 

 laries, crossed by bands of white and edged with the same, especially on the rump where the inner webs of the feathers are 

 wholly white. Tips of all the wins; feathers and spots on outer and inner webs, markings on inner webs of central tail 

 feathers, tip-' if four outer, and line extending along outer web of extreme outer, longitudinal patch in middle of wing form- 

 ed by tippings, and edges of wing coverts, also white. Top of head and patch on throat, scarlet. Sides of head, occiput, 

 and breast, black, with line passing from back of eye around occiput and one extending from base of bill along sides, white. 

 lining under parts, including under wing and tail coverts, white, tinged with sulphury-yellow, especially an the nbdo- 

 men and middle of the lower breast. Feathers of the sides and flanks, marked with arrow-shaped spots of black. Bill, 

 black. Feet, greenish-brown. 



Adult female. Similar to the male but lacks the scarlet patch on the throat which is replaced by one of dirty white. 

 There is also a brownish tinge to the feathers of the sides. 



Yovny male. With the general markings of the adult but the white above is tinged with brownish-yellow and the 

 breast has hut few traces of the black patch hut it is replaced by white narrowly banded with dusky. The scarlet feathers 

 above and below are more or less mixed with brownish, and sometimes with black. Entire under parts strongly tinged with 

 sulphury-yellow. Bill, brown. Feet, greenish. 



