312 



NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 



DESCRIPTION 



Of a male, killed near the sources of the Athabasca River, lat. 57°. 



Colour. — Nostril feathers brown. Crown pale saffron-yellow, with white specks shining 

 through ; the rest of the upper surface and sides of the head velvet-black, thickly spotted 

 with white on the forehead, round the crown, and on the sides of the throat ; also a white 

 line from the eye to the nape, where it spreads out, and another from the nostrils under 

 the eye, dilating behind the ears. Temples and hind head unspotted. Dorsal plumage and 

 wings blackish-brown ; interscapulars and downy feathers on the hind part of the back barred 

 with white ; tips of most of the quills, and a series of spots* on their margins, also white, 

 the spots deficient on the outer webs of the tertiaries and of several adjoining secondaries. 

 Two middle pairs of tail feathers brownish-black ; two exterior pairs barred with black at the 

 base ; and the intermediate pair largely tipped with white. Under plumage : — chin, throat, a 

 line down the middle of the belly, and the under tail coverts, white ; sides of the belly and 

 inner wing coverts barred with black. Bill bluish-grey above, whitish beneath. Legs lead- 

 coloured. — In some specimens there are a few white spots on the tips of the greater wing and 

 tail coverts. — The female is smaller than the male, and wants the yellow of the crown, the 

 top of the head being thickly spotted with white. The bluish and greenish-black on the 

 temples and hind head is very glossy. — R. 



Form, typical. Bill perfectly straight, but considerably depressed, the lateral angles so 

 near the edge as to appear obsolete. Tarsus longer than the hind toe and its claw, which 

 toe is longer than the anterior one. Lateral tail feathers pointed, and not rounded, as in 

 Dendrocopus pubescens. — Sw. 



Dimensions. 

 Of the male. 



Length, total 

 „ of tail 

 ,, of wing 

 „ of bill above 



Inch. Lin. 



. 9 6 Length of bill to rictus 



3 6 ,, of tarsus 



.4 6 „ of middle toe . 



1 1 



Inch. Lin. Inch. Lin. 



. 1 3 Length of middle nail . 4f 



9§ „ ofhindtoef . 6 



.06 „ of its nail . .0 4J 



Outermost tail feather but one. 



* Seven or eight rows on the longer primaries; in P. arcticus only five. — R. 

 f This is the versatile toe, the true hind toe being absent. — R. 



