528 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDa 



Picoitfex nrctinis. 



Gkms FICOIDES, Lxckv. 



I'iciiii/i's, I,ACK1'. Mpiii. Inst. 17!i!i. ('''yin', Picun Iridudi/liu,) 

 Tridiu-lijliii, SiKi'it. Sliuw, (icii. Zuiil. 1*10. 

 Jlilinuis, Sw. V. It. A. II, US.'U, ;!11. 



Gkn. Ciiah. Hill about as louj; u.>i llio licad, very imicli dcprcwscil at tlu> ba.xf ; the 



outlines nearly strai^jlit ; tliu lalci-nl 

 liili^c at il.-i liasc niucli ncarci- the 

 L'oinuii.s.KUi'c than tlic cnluicM, .so a.s 

 to briiiff tlic larp', lallicr linear no.s- 

 tril.s elo.s(! lollieedfre ol'tliee.innnis- 

 surc. Tliep)nys very Ion;:. e(|ual to 

 the (li.stnnco I'roni the nostril.s to the 

 tip of tho hill. Feet with only 

 three toes, tho llr.st or imier hinder 

 one Ijeini; wantiuir ; the outer 

 lateral a little lonj,'er thnii the 

 inner, hut slijrhtly exceeded by tho 

 hind toe, which is about equal to 

 tho tar.siis. Winjfs very lonp, 

 reaehiiif,' beyond the middle ol' the 

 tail, the tip of the liist (piill 

 between those ol' sixth and seventh. 

 Color black above, with a broad patch of yoUow on the crown; white beneath, trans- 

 versely banded on the sides. Quills, but not wing-eoverts, with round spots. Lateral 

 tail-feathers white, without bands on exposed portion, except in European specimens. 



The ])eculiarities of tliis oeiuis coii.sist in the al).sence of the inner hind 

 toe tuul the great depression of tlio bill. The tignre above fails to rejircseut 

 the median ridge of the bill as viewed from above. 



Common Ciiahactkus. The American species of Plcouhn afrroe in beinf? black above 

 and white beneath; the crown with a square yellow patch in the male; a white stripe 

 liehind the eye, and another from the loral region beneath tho eye ; the quills (but not 

 the coverts) spotted with white ; the sides banded transversely with black. The diagnostic 

 characters (including the European species) are as follows : — 



Species and Varieties. 



P. arcticus. Dorsal region without white markings; no supraloral white 

 stri))e or streak, nor nuchal band of white. Four middle tail-feathers wholly 

 black; the next pair with the basid half black; tho outer two pairs almost 

 wholly white, without any dark bars. Entire sides heavily banded with 

 black; cri.ssum immaculate; sides of tho breast contimiously black. ^. 

 Crown with a patch of yellow, varying from lemon, through gamboge, to 

 orange, and not surrounded by an}' wliiti.sh markings or suffusion. 9- 

 Crown lustrous black, without any yellow, and destitute of white streaks 

 or other markings. AVing. 4.85 to 5.25; tail, 3. 00 ; cnlmen, 1.40 to 1.55. 

 Hah. Northern parts of North America. In winter just within th<! 

 northern border of the United States, but farther south on high mountain- 

 ranges. 



