I'K'ID.K — TIIK WOODl'KCKEIiS. 



r,70 



with a 

 V fuiiit 



Si". CiiAit. Shafts ftiid iiiidiT .siiriiifcs (if winj; mul tail ll-athors oraiigo-ieil. Malo 

 rud patch im cai/h side tiie check ; uapu without rod crescent ; somcliiucs vci 

 indications hitci-aiiy. Throat and stripe 

 lieneath the eye liiiiish-asii. liuciv 

 glossed willi iiurpiisli-lirowii. KcMiale 

 without tiio rod clieol<-patcli. I,('ii;:tii, 

 about l.'i.OO; win;r, over ().')(). 



ADUITION.Vr, CuAKACTKIiS. SpOtS OU 



the belly, a crescent on the lircast, and 

 interrupted transverse liandM on the 

 back, black. 



Had. Western North A nierici from 

 Pacilio to the JJlack Hills ; north to 

 Sitka on the coast. Localities: 

 Oaxaca (Sol. P. Z. S. IS.'.S, .-iOo) ; 

 Vera Cruz, al[)ino regions (SiMiciiiiAST, 

 Mem. Bost. Soc. I, 18(19, 502) ; San 

 Antonio, Texas (Dkksskr, Ibis, 18G.'>. 

 470) ; W. Arizona (Coiks, P. A. N. S. 

 180G, r>G). 



CoiafUtf tnexicfiintx. 



Tlie female is similar in every- 

 way, perliaps a little smaller, but lacks the red mustache, ''"his is, liowever, 

 indicated hy a brown tinge over an area corresponding witli tiiat of the red 

 of the male. 



In the present specimen (1,880) there is a slij;lit indication of an inter- 

 rui)ted nuchal red band, as in the connnon Flicker, in s'jiue crimson fibres 

 to some of tiie featliers about as fai' liehind the eye as this is from the bill. 

 A large proportion of males before us e.xliibit the same characteristic, some 

 more, some less, although it generally requires careful examination for its 

 detection. It may jjossibly be a characteristic of tlie not fully matiu'e bird, 

 altliough it occurs in two out of three male specimens. 



There is a little variation in tlie size of the pectoral crescent and spots ; 

 the latter are sometimes rounded or oldong cordate, instead of circular. 

 The bill varies as much as three or four tentlis of an inch. The rum]>, 

 usually innuaculate, sometimes Juis a few black .-streaks. The extent of tlie 

 red whisker varies a little. Tn skins from Oregon and Washington the color 

 of the back is as described ; in those from California .ind New Mexico it is 

 of a grayer cast. Tiierc is little, if any, variation in the shade of red in the 

 whiskers and (juill-featlicrs. The liead is waslied on the forehead with 

 rufou.s, passing into asiiy on the nape. 



Tliere is not only some difference in tlie size of this species, in the same 

 locality, but, fis a general rule, the more southern specimens are smaller. 



This species is distinct from the 0. mci'iriowidva of Lafresiiaye, though 

 somewhat resembling it. It is, however, a smaller bird ; the red of the 

 cheeks is deeper ; the whole upper part of the head and neck uniform reddish- 

 cinnamon without any ash, in marked contrast to that on the sides of the 



