108 NUKTII AMKKICAN BIRDS. 



em portion of its area of distvilputioii, \v(! Hml a tcmleiicv to an nsliy or 

 brownish tingo on tlic nun|i, extending nion; or less along tlie baek ; few, if 

 any indeed, being uniforndy blaek. 



As, liowever, a general expression can l)e given to the variations referred 

 to, and as they have an important geograjjhical relationshij), besides a gen- 

 eral diagnosis, we give their i'haraet(irs aiul distribution in detail. 



The general impression we derive from a study of the series is that the 

 amount of white on the wing aiul elsewhere decreases from tlie Missouri 

 Jiiver to the I'acitic, exhibiting its mininnini in Oregon and Washington, pre- 

 cisely as in the snudl black Woodpeckei's ; that in the Great liasin the size 

 of the claws and the length of tail increases considerably ; that the northern 

 forms are entirely black, and the nioiu southern brown or olivaceous, except 

 on the iiead. 



Tlie following synoj)sis will be found to express the principal characteris- 

 tics of the species and their varieties, i)remising that F. anikiiti is more dis- 

 tinctly delinalile than any of the others. We udd the character of the green- 

 bodied Mexican species to conijjlete the series. 



Synopsis of Varieties. 



I. P. erythrophthalrmia. 



1. Win-r, 3.05 ; tail, 4.20. Outer tiiil-i'i'iitlicT witli torniiiial half of inner w.O) 

 white. Iris bright red, soiiiutiint's paler. Hah. Eastci-ii I'rovinco Unitfcl 

 States. (Florida in winter.) \!\\: erythropthalmus . 



2. Winp, 2.90 ; tail, 3.75. Outer tail-feather with only terminal fourth of 



mner wel) white. Iris white. //«/*. Florida (resident) . . ya,T. alleni. 



II. P. maculatns. 



A. Interscapulars with white streaks, 

 flf. Outer webs of primaries not edged with white at the base. 



1. Above olive-brown, the head and neck, only, continuous blaek; back 

 streaked with blaek. White .spots on wing-eovorts not bordered externally 

 with black. Wing, 3.25 ; tail, 4.00 ; hind elaw, .44. TI(i!>. Table-lands of 

 Mexico y(j,._ mac ulatus.^ 



2. Above black, tinged with olive on rump, and .sometimes on the na])e. 

 White spots as in last. Inner web of lateral tail-leathers with terminal white 

 spot more than one inch long; outer web broadly edged with white. 

 Wing, 3.45; tail, 4.10; liind claw, .55. Feimde less deep black than male, 

 with a general slaty-olive cast. IM. Middle Province of United States, 

 from Fort Tejon, California, to Upper Rio Grande, and from Fort Crook to 

 FortBridger y.^r. megalonyx. 



3. Above almost wholly black, with scarcely any olive tinge, and this only 

 on rump. AVhite .spots restricted, and with a distinct black external bonier. 

 White terminal .spot on inner web of lateral tail-feather less than one inch 

 long ; outer web almost wholly black. Wing, 3.40 ; tail, 3.00 ; hind elaw, 

 .39. Female deep tnnber-brown, inste.ad of black. JIah. Pacific Province of 

 United States, south to San Franci-sco ; West Humboldt Mountains, var. oregonus. 



• Fipilo maculatus, Swainson, Philos. Mag., 1827. 



