SPHYKAPICUS VARIUS, YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKER. 287 



Probably no genus of the F'lcidce is more strongly marked than this 

 one. Without very striking external peculiarities, the structure of the 

 tongue and associate parts is remarkably different from that obtaining 

 in any of the North American species at least, and may justly claim 

 higher taxouomic value than that subsisting among any of the details 

 of contour of our remaining species. The peculiarities are fully set 

 forth in my paper above cited. Assertions of misinformed authors to 

 the contrary notwithstanding, the 8. '■'■ wilUamsoni''^ or thyroideus is a 

 typical Sphyrapicus, as I determined by examination of the hyoid appa- 

 ratus in freshly-killed specimens.- The regimen of both species, cor- 

 respondently with their anatomical features, is peculiar ; they denude 

 trees of their ba'-k in areas, instead of drilling holes, and feed exten- 

 sively upon soft sap-wood, as well as upon various fruits and insects. 



I intimated a suspicion of the specific identity of 8. ruber and imyius 

 in the Key, as above cited. I had not, at the moment of writing, speci- 

 mens enough to satisfy myself of the complete iutergradation of the 

 two forujs, through var. nucJialis, which is simply the first step toward 

 var, riibcr. But this has been satisfactorily determined by Mr. Eidgway. 

 His remarks are so pertinent that I will transcribe them, in giving them 

 my unreserved endorsement: 



"This tendency to an extension of red, as we approach the Pacific 

 coast, is strictly paralleled in the case of Sphyrapicus rarius. Taking 

 specimens of this species from the Atlantic States (tyi)ical 8. variiis), it 

 is noticed that in the male the red patch on the throat is entirely cut 

 off from the white rictal stripe by a continuous maxillary stripe of black, 

 while the nuchal band is brownish- white ; and that the ? has the throat 

 entirely white. Not more than one per cent, have a tinge of red on the 

 nape in the male, or a trace of it on the throat in the female. In speci- 

 mens from the Rocky Mountains (var. mtcJialis) we find that all have 

 the nuchal band more or less red, while the female invariably has the 

 throat at least one-third of this color ; the male, too, has the black max- 

 illary stripe interrupted, allowing the red of the gular patch to touch, 

 for quite a distance, the white stripe beneath the eye, while it invades, 

 for a greater or less extent, the black pectoral crescent. Another step 

 is seen in specimens from the region between the Eocky Mountains and 

 the Cascade Eange, in which the red is extended still more ; first, the 

 black auricular stripe has a few touches of red, the black pectoral cres- 

 cent is mixed with red feathers, aad the light area surrounding it (sul- 

 phur-yellow in the more eastern styles) is more or less tinged with red. 

 Then, as we continue westward, the red increases, until, in specimens 

 from the coast region of California, Oregon, Washington Territory, and 

 British Columbia (var. ruber), it overspreads the whole head, neck and 

 breast, in extreme examples entirely obliterating the normal pattern, 

 though usually this can be distinctly traced. With this increase in the 

 extent of red there is also a gradnally increased amount of black, strictly 

 parallel, to that in Picus mfJmus (var Imrrisii) and P. pubescens (var. 

 (jairdneri) from the same regions." 



The Yellow-bellied Woodpecker is common in the wooded bottoms of 

 the Missouri region. Kansas and other eastward examples are pure 

 varius, but mo.st incline toward var nuclialis, which becomes completely 

 established on the first slopes of the mountains. I found varius breed- 

 ing commonly along the Eed Eiver of the North. 



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