prciD.E — TIIK WOODPECKKKS. 



;>.>') 



tliat it is tlie most coinnion W(X)(l])t'ckev luirth ol' (ireat Slave Lake, wliciut' 

 it has riviiiieutly lieeii si'iit to the Siniilisoiiian Institution. It is said to 

 nrciitly rosenibk; /'. vU/osus in liabits, cxceiit tliat it si-eUs its lood princi- 

 pally u^ion decaying trees of tiie ]iine trilie, in which it IVeipicntly makes 

 holes lame enough to bury itself. It is not migratory. 



Genus SFHYROFICUS, R.vmn. 



PiUimnus, Box. Cons]). Zyguil. Atcnco ItaliiUio, May, l^.'>4. (Typi' P. Hi;irnii/rHs\ pn- 



ouciipii'il in cnislaccans. 

 SpJii/ro/nciis, liAiiin, liinis N. Am. 18.".S, liH. (Yyix; Ph'k.i ruriiis, I. inn., C'(iri;s, I'r. A. 



X. S. 18t)ti, 52 (anatimiy). 

 ri,i(li<s,-u,iiix, (Alt. .'*c llr.lN. Jills, ilriii. IV, 2, ]S(i3, 80. ('I'yi"', /'. mi-inx.) 



(Iks. CiiAi!. Hill as ill /'(V((.s-. hut tlic lalonil ridgo, wliicii is vei-y proiiiiiiciit, ruiiuiii!:; 

 out ilistiiii-liy to till' ciiiii- 

 luissiirc at alHiiil ilsiuiililii', 

 licvdiiil wliii-h the liiU is 

 loundi'il willidiitaiiy auirli's 

 at ail. Tlic ciiliiicii and 

 froiiys arc viTy nearly 

 straiii'lit, liiit sli^-litly con- 

 vpx. the bill tapcrinirrapid- 

 Iv to a point ; the lateral 

 outline eoneavc to very 

 near the sliulitly lievelled 

 lip. Outer l)air ol' toes 

 Iduuest ; the hinder ex- 

 terior rather lnni;-est ; the 

 inner |iosterior tni' very 

 shnrt. less than the inner 

 aiiterioi- without its elaw. 

 Wilms loie^- and liointed ; the third, exehidinpr tin' spurious, longest. Tail-leathers very 

 liriiad, aliru[)tlv aeinninate. with a very loiiir linear tip. Toni^ue seiireely exleiisihle. 



Tlic genus Sji/ii/r<i/iin(x, instituted in 1M.")S, ])ri)ves to he so strongly marked 

 in its characters that Dr. Cunes jiroposcs to make it the tyiic of a distinct 

 stiliraniilv, S/i/ii/riijiiiiiur (I'r. IMiil. Acad. ISdli, .-|2\ In addition to the ]iccii- 

 iiarities .ihvady iudicateil, there is a rcinarkiililc fciiture in the tongue, vvliicli, 

 according to Dr. Cmies, Dr. Hoy, Dr. j'ryaut, and others, is incapalile of ]iro- 

 trusion much licyond the tip of the hill, or not more than the third of iiii 

 ineli. Dr. t'oues sttites tliat the apo-hyid and cerato-hyal elements of tlie 

 hvoid hone do not reach hack miicli lieyond the tyin])ano-ma.\illary articula- 

 tion, iusttsid of extending round, as in /Vr^'s', over tlie occiput to the lop of the 

 craniinii,or even curving into tin os.seous groove around the mliit. '["he liasi- 

 hvals supporting tiie tongiu' are shorter and differently shaped. Tlie toiigtU! 

 itself is short tind ilattened, witli a superior longitudinal median groove and 

 a corresponding inferior ridge ; the tip is broad and Ilattened and obtusely 



Sphtirojiir.us itiic/ialis. 



