530 



XORTII A.MERIC.VN HIRDS. 



Picoides arcticus, (Juay. 



THE BLACK-BACKED THBEE-TOED WOODFECKEB. 



PictlS (A/itrniiis) (iir/inis, Xw. !•'. I'lor. Am. II, ISIil, :U:!. .Ipln-nKsinrliciis, Hr. List, 

 1838. — 111. ('(in.s|.. l,Si">(i, l:ii". — \i;wi!Ki:i;y, Zuiil. Cal. ami Orc';. Tvimti', 'M, I!ip. 

 r. 1!. K. Smv. VI, l.s.'iT. /''V».s (iirlini.t, Arn. Syii. 18;!ii, IS-J. In. liinls ,\imr. 

 VI, 18CJ, -'lii!, pi. ciKviii. XiiiAi.i,, Man. I, cJii cil..* IStii, (i'.il. - Scndkv.m.i,, 

 CiMisi). 1, lS()ii, 1.-). fii-ualrithirliilim, I'x.N. Am. Oiii. 11, IS-iS, 14, \<\. xiv, f. 2. - 

 Aim. I>ni. Ilidj;. 11, 18;!4, li»8, pi. c.xxxii. Ti-hliietiilin n>\iii-ii. ('ah. & llrix. I'ii-niiif: 

 fiir/icii.i, (iiiAY, Cm. -lUini), liinls N. Am. lSri8, 98. — l.iii;i>, Pr. 11. .Art. Insi, 

 Woolwk'h, IV, 18(U, 112 (Cnson<Ic Mouiitain.s). — Cooi'Kl!, Pr. Cal. Ac. .S'. ISCS (l.akc 

 Tahdo ami .•^iiTia Xcvaila). — Samikls, 94. — C(inn;i;, Oni. Cal. I, 1870, ;iS4. 



Sp. Char. Almvo I'lilirciy iiivli'-iii j^lo.^sy bliiisli-lilai'k ; a .si|iiiir(' |)alcli oii tlic iniildlc 



ol'tlii" cTDWii .•^allVciii-ycllow, anil :< \'r\v 

 wiiiti' spills (111 llic (.niter (>ilj;v.'* 'il I'ntli 

 wclis (if llic jiriiiiary ami sccniiilarv 

 (|iiilis. liciicatU wiiitc. on llic siili's ni' 

 wlidlc liiidy, axiilars. anil inner \vinj;-- 

 cDverts liaiiileil transveisely willi lilaek. 

 Cri.ssiini wliito, willi a lew spots an- 

 teriorly. A narrow eoneealed while 

 line I'loni the eye a sliorl ilistanee liaek- 

 wanls, and a \vliite stripe IVoiii the 

 exticine loreheail inieelinu' anterinrly) 

 iiniler the eye. anil down llie sides of 

 the neek, liorderod below hy a narmw 

 stripe oClilaek. liristly leathers of the 

 base of the liill lirowii ; soinetinies a 

 P,rmil,.t inrtinis. fc w ji'i'av ill teriiiixeil. Kxposed iiorlion 



of two outer tail-fealhers (first and 



second) white : the third ohliiinely white at end, tipped with hlaek. Soiiieiimes tiieso 



featliers with a narrow lilaek lip. 



IlAn. !N'ortlierii Xorth Anieriea ; south to norlhein holders of riiiled .*<iates in winter. 



.A[assacliusetts (Mavnako. I!. M Mass., 1S70, 1211)- Sierra Nevada, .south to W.)". Lake 



Talioe (Cooi"i:n) ; Caisoii City (Kihowav). 



'I'lii.s ,s|i('cii's (lillfis i'luiii the other Aiiiericiiii tlireo-tned Woodjieekei's 

 chietly in hiiviiio- tlie liiick entirely hlaek. The white line tnnu llie eye is 

 iistiiilly iiliuost inipereeiitihle, if not waiitino entirely. Speeiineii.s vary very 

 little; line tVniii Slave Lake lia.s a lonoer liill than nsnal, iind (he tup dl 

 liead niiire nranoe. Tiie .sizt; of tlie vertex pateh varie.'* ; sonietiines tlie 

 IViinlal v.-liitish is inapprecialile. Xone of the females lefore mo Iiave any 

 wliite splits ill the lilaek of liead, as in that of rnnericitnux. 



'I'lie varialiiiiis in this species are very siiojit, lieiiio- cliiclly in llie shade id 

 1 lie yellow jmleh mi the eniwn, which vtiries I'nim a siilpliiir tint to ti rich 

 oranoe. Soinetinies there i.s tiie faiii'.est trace of a whilisli jiost-ocidar 

 .streak, hnt nsiially tliis is wholly alweiit. Western and Ka,stcrn e.\ain]ilcs 

 iipjiear to lie identical. 



