PICIDiE — THE WOODPECKERS. 
primaries variegated with white, this continuous nearly to the 
end of outer webs ; inner webs of secondaries with large white 
spots toward their base. Length, about 9.00 ; wing, 5.25. Hab. 
Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges, Pacific Province, United States. 
( White-headed Woodpecker.') 
Genus PICOIDES, Lacep. (Page 96.) 
a square 
the loral 
the sides 
Common Characters. Black above and white beneath ; the crown with 
yellow patch in the male ; a white stripe behind the eye, and another from 
region beneath the eye; the quills (but not the coverts) spotted with white; 
banded transversely with black. 
P. arcticus. Dorsal region without white markings ; no supraloral white 
stripe or streak, nor nuchal band of white. Entire sides heavily banded 
with black ; sides of the breast continuously black. £ . Crown with a patch 
of yellow, varying from lemon, through gamboge, to orange, and not 
surrounded by any whitish markings or suffusion. 9 • Crown lustrous 
black, without any yellow, and destitute of white streaks, or other mark- 
ings. Wing, 4.85 to 5.25; tail, 3.60 ; culmen, 1.40 to 1.55. Hab. Northern 
parts of North America. In winter just within the northern border of the 
United States, but farther south on high mountain-ranges- ( Black-backed 
Three-toed Woodpecker.) 
P. tridactylus. Dorsal region with white markings, of various amount and 
direction ; a more or less distinct supraloral white streak or stripe, and a more 
or less apparent nuchal band of the same. Sides always with black streaks 
or markings, but they are sometimes very sparse ; crissum banded with 
black, or immaculate; sides of the breast not continuously black. £. 
Crown with a patch of gamboge, amber, or sulphur-yellow, surrounded by 
a whitish suffusion or markings. 9 • Crown without any yellow, but dis- 
tinctly streaked, speckled, or suffused with whitish (very seldom plain black). 
Wing, 4.40 to 5.10; tail, 3.40 to 3.70; culmen, 1.10 to 1.25. 
Back transversely barred with white. Hab. Hudson’s Bay region, 
and adjoining parts of British America ; northern border of Eastern 
States in winter. ( Banded Three-toed Woodpecker.) . var. am eric anus. 
Back longitudinally striped with white. Hab. Rocky Mountain 
region of United States, northward to Alaska. {Mountain Three-toed 
Woodpecker.) var. dorsalis . 
Genus SPHYROPICUS, Baird. (Page 96.) 
A. Wing with a white patch on the middle and greater coverts. Markings 
along the sides with a longitudinal tendency. 
1. S. varius. Back variegated medially with brownish- white ; secondaries 
with transverse rows of white spots. 
I. White and black stripes on side of head sharply defined , as is also 
the black pectoral crescent. Red confined to isolated patches , — two 
large ones , one on the crown and one on the throat ; when there is 
more , only a tinge on the auriculars , and a crescent on 1 nape. 
Crown sometimes glossy black without a trace of red on the female ; 
no tinge of scarlet on the nape. Red of the throat entirely confined 
s 
a 
