600 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Picua vilhsus. 



GENU8 PICT7S, LiNN/EUB. 



ricua, Linn. Syst. Nut. 1748. (Tvjic, rii:ii.i marliiu, I,.) 



Gen. Char. IJill pquni to tlui IknuI, or a littlu long(.T ; tlie Intcrnl ridpcs oon.ipicuoiis, 



Htnrtiiid nbout the iniddlo of tlic 

 linse of the l)ill ; tljc bnsnl 

 elongated oval nostrils nearest 

 the coinMii.><.siiru ; the ridges of 

 the eulinen and gony.s acute, 

 and v(!ry nearly straiglit, or 

 slightly eonvex towards the 

 tip; the hill hut little broader 

 than high at the base, becoming 

 compressed considerably before 

 the middle. Feet much as in 

 Cnmpephiliiit ; the outer pos- 

 terior toe longest ; the outer 

 anterior about intermediate 

 between it and the inner an- 

 terior ; the inner posterior 

 reaching to the base of the claw 

 of the inner anterior. Tarsus about e(iual to the inner anterior toe ; shorter than the 

 two other long toes. Wings rather long, reaching to the middle of the tail, rather rounded ; 

 the fourth and fifth ipiills longest; the quills rather broad and rounded. 



In the genus Picus, as chamcterized above, are contained several sub- 

 divisions more or less entitled to distinct rank, and con-esponding with 

 peculiar patterns u\' coloration. Thus, taking the P. villosiis as the type, P. 

 bormli.'i has proportionally niucli longer primaries ; the spurious primary 

 smaller ; the bill is considerably more attenuated, and even concave in its 

 lateral outlines. Tlie wings are still longer in P. a/bolurvatus. The species 

 may l)e arranged as follows : — 



A. Black above, and white bcnciith. Wings spotted with white ; a black 

 maxillary stripe. 



a. Two white stripes on the side of the head, one above, and the other 

 below, the ear-coverts, which are mostly black. I'irst quill shorter than 

 sixth. Tail-feathers broad and obtuse at ends, the nari'owed tips of middle 

 feathers very short. 



DR70BATES, Boie. Jliddlo of back streaked longitudinally and con- 

 tinuously with white. Maxillary and auricular black stripes not con- 

 fluent ; the latter running into the black of the nape. Beneath white 

 without spots. Red of he.id confined to a narrow nuchal band. 



1. P. villoBUS. Outer tail-feathers immaculate white, great va- 

 riation in size with latitude. Length, 7.00 to 10.00. 



All the quills, with middle and greater wing-coverts, with 

 large white spots. Ifab, Eastern North America . var. vilJosus. 



Iimermost quills and some of the coverts entirely black, 

 or unspotted with white. Remaining spots reduced in si^ie. 



