430 PICID^. 



development of the red colour is concerned, of which S. nuchalis is the intermediate 

 between it and S. varius. 



3. Sphyropicus thyroideus. 



Picus thyroideus, Cassin, Pr. Ac. Phil. 1851, p. 349 \ 

 Sphyropicus thyroideus, Baird, Birds N. Am. p. 106 ". 

 Sphyropicus thyroideus, Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. Birds, ii. p. 547'; Hargit't, Cat. Birds 



Brit. Mus. Xviii. p. 196*. 

 Picus williamsoni, Newberry, Pac. E. R. Rep. vi. p. 89, t. 24i fig. 1 ^ 

 Sphyropicus williamsoni, Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. Birds, ii. p. 545 °. 



Supra niger, dorsi plumis striis celatis albis notatis, uropygio pure albo ; vitta postoculari elongata utrinque 

 apud nucham tamen vix conjuncta, altera a naribus infra oeulos albis ; gutture et pectore nigris, iUo 

 plaga elongata media a mento coccinea ; abdomine flavicante, hypoehondriis et tectricibus stibalaribus 

 nigris albo variegatis ; alls nigris, tectricibus mediis et majotibus plerumque albis, remigibus extrorsum 

 nigris, mediis in pogonio externo sparsim albo maculatis, omnibus in pogonio interne macuHs albis 

 (apicibus exceptis) in margine notatis ; cauda omnino nigra ; rostro et pedibus nigricantibus. Long, tota 

 circa 8-8, alas 5-5, caudae 3-5, rostri a rictu 1-15, tarsi 0-75, dig. med. absque ungue 0-56, dig. ext. 0-6. 

 (Descr. maris ex Eefugio, Chihuahua, Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 



5 fere omnino diversa. Supra (pileo fuseo-brunneo et urop3'gio albo exceptis) nigra lindique fusco-albido 

 transversim fasciata, alls quoque similiter faseiatis, gula media et regione parotica pileo concoloribus, gulae 

 lateribus nigro striatis, pectore plaga mediana rotunda nigra ornato ; pectoris lateribus, hypochondriis et 

 tectricibus subcaudalibus sicut dorsum faseiatis, abdomine medio flavicante ; cauda nigra, rectricibus duabiis 

 mediis in pogoniis ambobus albo faseiatis, fasciis baud concurrentibus ; rostro et pedibus nigricantibus. 

 (Descr. feminse ex Sierra de Bolafios, Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 



Av. jiiv. plagam pectoralem nigram caret. 



Hab. North Ameeica, Eocky Mountains to the Pacific coast ^. — Mexico, Pinos Altos 

 {BucJian-Hephum), Jesus Maria, Casa Colorada, and Refugio in Chihuahua 

 ( W. Lloyd), Sierra de Bolanos ( W. B. Richardson), Tinguindi near Guadalajara 

 {Dr. A. C. Bulhr, in Mus. Bothschild). 



The female of this remarkable species was described by Cassin as long ago as 1851, 

 and the male six years later by iDr. Newberry as a distinct species under the name of 

 Picus williamsoni. The relationship of the two birds was not suspected for many 

 years, and even in 1874 they were kept distinct by the authors of the ' History of 

 North-American Birds.* 



It is now well known that the bird called B. williamsoni is the male and P. thyroideus 

 the female of one and the same species. The great sexual difference of plumage in 

 this species does not occur in any other Woodpecker. 



S. thyroideus, however, is a true Sphyropicus, having, according to Dr. Coues, the 

 tongue constructed as in the other members of the genus ; its habits and food being 

 also similar. 



Until recently the range of this Woodpecker was supposed to be coniined to the 

 Eocky Mountain region, and thence to the Pacific coast of North America, where it is 

 said to keep chiefly to the pine-belt, of which it is one of the characteristic birds. 



Its range into Mexico was fii?st made known to us on the receipt of a male specimen 



