RED-SHAFTED WOODPECKER. 175 



narrow, the sides convex, the edges inflected, the tip acute. Nostrils 

 basal, oblong, about half-way between the ridge and the margin, and 

 concealed by the feathers. 



Head of moderate size, ovate ; neck rather short ; body rather full. 

 Feet very short ; tarsus short, compressed, anteriorly feathered one- 

 third down, covered with six large scutella in the rest of its extent, 

 thin-edged, with an internal series of small scutella behind ; toes four ; 

 first small, third and fourth about equal, second and third imited at the 

 base ; claws large, curved, compressed, laterally grooved, very acute. 



Plumage very soft, full, blended. Feathers at the base of the up- 

 per mandible stiffish and directed forwards. Wings of moderate length, 

 the fifth quill longest, the fourth one-twelfth of an inch shorter, the 

 third three-twelfths shorter than the fourth, and exceeding the second 

 by one inch, the first only one inch and nine-twelfths long. Tail of 

 moderate length, cimeate, of twelve feathers, all pointed except the 

 outer, which is only an inch and three-quarters in length, the next one 

 inch shorter than the middle. 



Bill dusky above and at the tip, light greyish-blue beneath. Iris 

 light brown. Feet greyish-blue. Upper part of the head and hind 

 neck light purplish-grey ; forehead and a band over the eye dull red ; 

 the sides and fore part of the neck ash-grey, with an oblong patch of 

 bright carmine from the base of the lower mandible. The upper parts 

 generally are light greyish-brown, transversely spotted with black ; the 

 hind part of the back white ; the upper tail-coverts black, barred with 

 white. The shafts of the quills and their coverts are orange-red ; the 

 smaller coverts coloured like the back ; primaries and their coverts 

 brownish-black, most of them externally spotted with greyish-brown ; 

 secondaries brownish-black, spotted on both margins with greyish-brown. 

 Tail-feathers brownish-black, the two lateral on each side with several 

 light brown spots along the margin, the rest faintly edged with yellow- 

 ish-white, the shafts of all toward the base, and the greater part of their 

 lower surface orange-red, tinged with vermilion, as is the lower surface 

 of the wings. On the fore part of the breast is a crescentic patch of 

 black ; the rest of the lower parts are reddish-white, with numerous 

 round black spots. 



Length to end of tail 131 inches ; bill along the ridge 1^, along the 

 edge of lower mandible l/g ; wing from flexure 6i§ ; tail 4|§ ; tarsus 



