_large number of specimens were secured, all moulting, and many 
Pe ee the bead 
242 i ZOOLOGY. 
+ 
hitherto almost unknown species, by its discovery in southeastern 
_ Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. I found it in immense 
` numbers, from Sept. 20th till late in October, throughout the roll- 
ing plains along the bases of the mountains, and even quite high 
up among the foot-hills. It was usually associated with the sa- 
vanna and yellow-winged sparrows, and seems to embrace in its 
habits certain characteristics of either species. Its flight is par- 
ticularly like that of the former bird, but even more wild and irreg- 
_ular. It pursues its zigzag course for a couple of hundred yards, 
and then, suddenly turning sharply to one side, alights behind some- 
friendly. bush, or tuft of grass. Like the yellow-winged sparrow, 
it is difficult to flush, but seeks rather to evade search by running 
nimbly through the grass, changing its course frequently, and — 
hiding wherever possible, flying only when hard pressed. A. 
in extremely ragged plumage ; from their condition it is presumed 
that they were not migrants, but breed in the immediate locality. _ 
_ Biacx-sreastep Wooprecker (Sphyrapicus thyroideus Bd.). — 
This species was first made known to science through a description a 
by Cassin, published in Dec., 1851, in Pr. A. N. Se. In 1857, Dr. 
Newberry published a description of Williamson’s woodpecker 
(S. Williamsoni) ‘from specimens obtained by Lieut. William- — 
son’s Expedition: since which time the two species have been 
accepted by ornithologists as perfectly valid, the true relation 
ship of the two being wholly unsuspected. While in southern 
Colorado during the past season, I obtained abundant proof of ` 
the specific identity of the two birds in question, Williamsonii' 
being the male of thyroideus. Though led to suspect this, 
finding the two: birds in suspicious proximity, it was some t 
lus tremuloides), and both the parent birds were secured as tl the 
flew from the hole, having just entered with food for the new. 
hatched young. ‘ As regards the sexual differences of color: 
the case of thyroideus is wholly unique. In this species, th 
of the female are radically different from those of the ™ 
With this single exception as far as known, the differences 
color between the sexes, in the family of woodpeckers, are 
fined mainly to the absence, or less moni; of the bright í 
