PICUS V1LLOSUS. 239 



globe. Tlir probable extinction of any species of bird appears to me worthy tbe attention 

 of the National Government, for such a calamity is to be deplored by the entire Scientific 

 World. Some elWts have been made by the Florida legislature to protect birds which 

 occur in that state from wanton destruction but I understand that these laws have been 

 repealed. If this be a fact, such a proceeding cannot be too severely censured for, unless 

 such attractive birds as the Herons, Spoonbills, Parakeets, Anhingas, Ivory-billed Wood- 

 peckers, etc., etc., be protected by urgent laws, it will not be many years before Florida, 

 once so famous for the varied hues of her feathered tribe which added so much to the pict- 

 uresque beauty of her winding streams and wooded shores; Florida! the land of flowers and 

 of birds, will have lost one of her greatest charms the birds: and, if it were possible for 

 the hand of vandalism to destroy them, I doubt if it would even leave her the flowers. 

 Should not we, then, who love to contemplate the unmplested beauties of Nature, make an 

 effort to preserve them for the enjoyment of the coming generations? I, for one, think so 

 and let us keep in mind that, if this is to be done at all, it must be done quickly, certainly 

 as regards such birds as the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. 



< i KM .S VII. PICUS. THE BLACK AND WHITE WOODPECKERS. 



<!K\. Cii. Sternum, not twice as wide as the heiyht of (he keel. Marginal indentations, nearly equal in depth to the 

 tuiyth of thekee}; outer, more shallow than inner. Mamtbrium, moderate. Terminal hook of scapula, variable. Tonyue, 

 }>rm-i,li il iri/>i n /<>;/, extensible sheath, while the ceralo-hyals are (/really elonyated and extend around the back of the skull. 

 Pr.i- ntriru'w, s:mll. Stomach, not very muscular. Salivary glands, notvery well developed. Both mandible*, straight. 

 Head, not crested. .1 



In members of this genus, the prevailing color above is black, relieved hy white markings and the moles are marked, to 

 a greater or lest extent, on the occiput with scarlet. The tail feathers are very acuminate. The hind toe is less than one 

 half the length of the outer which is projected backward. Theheadisnotstrickingly large nor is the neck very thin. The 

 bill is about equal to the head in length. There are no laryngeal muscles, excepting the sterno-trachealis which is very 

 stout. The tympanifonn membrane is present and although there is an os transversale, yet it does not support a semilunar 

 membrane. The o>-< iphagus is without dilatation and opens into a small proventriculus which measures about 15 in exter- 

 nal diameter by 'SOinlength in bo real is. The gastric glands are rather numerous, simple, and occupy a zonular band. The 

 stomach is rather globular in form and quite large, while the walls are not very thick, and the lining membrane is finely ru- 



. The fold of the duodenum is not very long, inclosing a wide pancreas. The spleen is an elliptical body lying over 

 the cardiac opening of the stomach. Both lobes of the liver are about equal in size. There are three species within oar 

 limits. 



PICUS VILLOSUS, 



Hairy Woodpecker. 



Piau vithsus LINN., Syst. Nat., I; 1766, 175. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sr. Cn. Form, robust. Size, large. Sternum, stout. Tongue, rather thin and horny at the tip which is provided 

 with barbs for one third of the terminal length. The extensible sheath occupies about one half of the length of the tongue. 

 Terminal hook of scapula, angled above and below. 



in. Adult male. Glossy black above, including sides of head and line extending down on to the the sides, with 

 the bristly feather- at ba-e of bill, line extending from just in front of eye, inclosing it, and reaching occiput, line from the 

 base of bill, running d >wn sMes of neck, broad line along middle of back, spots on outer websof wing feathers, all but ba- 

 sal portion of three outer tail feathers, and tips of next pair, white. Patches on sides of occiput, scarlet. Under portion, 

 including under wing coverts, white, with the latter spotted with black on the center of the second row of feather-. 



Adult female. Similar to the male, but lacks the scarlet on the head which is replaced by black, and the white on the 

 tail is not as extended. 



