18 
PILEATED WOODPECKER. 
to the sides, spreading under the wings; the upper half of the 
wings, are white, but concealed by the black coverts; the lower 
extremities of the wings are black; so that the white on the wing 
is not seen but when the bird is flying, at which time it is very 
prominent; the tail is tapering, the feathers being very convex 
above and strong; the legs are of a leaden gray colour, very 
short, scarcely half an inch, the toes very long, the claws strong 
and semicircular, and of a pale blue; the bill is fluted, sharply 
ridged, very broad at the base, bluish black above, below and at 
the point bluish white; the eye is of a bright golden colour; the 
pupil black; the tongue, like those of its tribe, is worm-shaped, 
except near the tip, where for one-eighth of an inch it is horny, 
pointed, and beset with barbs. 
The female has the forehead, and nearly to the crown, of a 
light brown colour, and the mustaches are dusky instead of red. 
In both, a fine line of white separates the red crest from the 
dusky line that passes over the eye. 
