MORTON'S FINCH. 313 



rounded with a black band ; a light chestnut-red band surrounds the 

 neck, except for a short space in front ; the fore part of the back and 

 scapulars are light dull yellowish-red, streaked with brownish-black, 

 the hind part, rump, and upper tail-coverts yellowish-grey ; the smaller 

 wing-coverts yellowish-grey, the first row brownish-black toward the 

 end with the tip- white, the secondary coverts and inner secondary quills 

 brovniish-black, broadly margined with light yellowish-red, the former 

 tipped with white, the rest of the quill dusky brown, edged with yel- 

 lowish-red fading on the outer to whitish ; the tail-feathers blackish- 

 brown, narrowly edged with pale yellowish-grey, the lateral of a lighter 

 tint. The lower parts are dull brownish-white, the sides light greyish- 

 brovsTi, the lower wing-coverts yellowish-white. 



Length to end of tail 5^ inches ; bill along the ridge ^, along the 

 edge of lower mandible i% ; wing from flexure 2f ^ ; tail 2^^, tarsus f*^ ; 

 hind toe |^, its claw |^ ; middle toe i\, its claw ||. 



In its colovu-ing this bird is very similar to the White-crowned and 

 White-chinned Finches, with which it also agrees in the form of its 

 wings, but differs in having the tail much shorter, the bill less robust, the 

 claws proportionally longer and less arched. 



IMPERIAL WOODPECKER. 



PiCUS IMPERIALIS, GoULD. 



The following note, which I have received from Dr Townsend, re- 

 fers to this splendid Woodpecker. " On the 14th of August 1834, I 

 saw several specimens of a large black Woodpecker, about the size of 

 Picus principalis. A broad band of white appeared to extend trans- 

 versely across the wings and back. It inhabited the tall pine trees, 

 and was very shy. The note was almost exactly that of the Red-headed 

 Woodpecker, so much so that at first Mr Nuttall and myself were 

 both deceived by it. I lingered behind the party, which at that time 

 was travelling rapidly, and at last got a shot at one of them with slugs, 

 my large shot having been entirely expended. The bird fell wounded 

 into a thicket at a considerable distance. I searched for an hour, with- 



