BLACK-BODIED WOODPECKER. 151 
in several points of structure, our present bird has 
a close affinity; the wings, however, are more 
rounded, without being short, so that the secondary 
quills are scarcely half an inch shorter than the pri- 
maries. The hinder toe is longer than the anterior, 
and the bill beyond the nostrils is much compressed. 
The colouring is very peculiar, the fore part of 
the head, cheeks, ears, and chin, are of a light 
hair- brown, having a fhlvous tinge ; the crown 
is darker ; on each side of the nape, behind the 
ears, there is a patch of dark and bright crimson, 
which colour tips the outer half of the feathers 
only; the rest of the upper plumage is of the 
darkest brick red, particularly on the wings, the 
feathers of which are obscurely marked with lighter 
bands. The covered parts of all the quills, when 
the wing is closed, are blackish-hrown ; and the 
paler bands upon them, generally six, are on the 
outer webs ; on the tertials, however, they are 
equally light on both webs. The tail and the upper 
covers are blackish, obscurely marked with pale 
bands similar to those on the wings, but they are 
almost obliterated on the rump, and entirely so on 
the back and interscapulars. The whole of the 
under plumage is of a uniform brownish-black ex- 
cepting the chin, which, like the ears, is hair- 
brown. The bill seems to have been yellow, and 
the legs dark green. 
Total length 8i inches ; bill, from the gape, 1 ^ ; 
wings, 4 t 4 5 ; tail beyond, ; ditto from the base, 
91 
