BIKDS-PICIDAE-PICOIDES. 
97 
black of the occiput appears to extend to tbe eye in an angle. The white of the head scarcely 
extends down on the neck. 
The P. albolarvatus was first described by Mr. Cassin from specimens collected in California 
by J. Gf. Bell. It is an exceedingly rare species, not more than three or four skins being known 
to exist in collections. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
When collected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig. No. 
Collected by—- 
6041 
Q ? 
Spokan river, W. T___ 
Sept, 28,1853 
Gov. Stevens__ 
16 
Dr. Cooper_ 
4474 
Q? 
Cascade mountains, 0. T. , fifty 
miles south of Columbia river. 
Sept. 28,1855 
Lieut. Williamson... 
Dr. Newberry.. 
PICOIDES, La cep. 
Picoiiles, Lacep. Mem. Inst. 1799. 
Tridactylia, Steph. Shaw, Gen. Zoo\. 1815. 
Jdpternus, Sw. F. B. A. II, 1831, 311. 
Bill about as long as the head, very much depressed at the base ; the outlines nearly straight; the lateral ridge at its base 
much nearer the commissure than the culmen, so as to bring the large rather linear nostrils closeto the edge of the commissure. 
The gonys very long, equal to the distance from the nostrils to the tip of the bill. Feet with only three toes ; the outer 
lateral a little longer than the inner, but slightly exceeded by the hind toe, which is about equal to the tarsus. "Wings very 
long, reaching beyond the middle of the tail ; 4th and 5th quills longest. Color black, with a broad patch of yellow on the 
crown ; transversely banded on the sides. Quills with round spots. 
The peculiarities of this genus consist in the absence of the inner hind toe and the great 
depression of the bill. 
The American species of Picoides (and to a considerable extent the European) agree in being 
black above and white beneath ; the crown with a square yellow patch 5 a white stripe behind 
the eye, and another from the loral region beneath the eye ; the quills (but not the coverts) 
spotted with white ; the sides banded transversely with black. The diagnostic characters 
(including the European species) are as follows : 
A. Middle of back not varied with white. 
Back uniformly black. p. arcticus. 
B. Middle of back varied with white. 
Back with transverse bands of white. White stripes on side of head narrow, incon¬ 
spicuous. Crissum but slightly banded with black. Two inner tail feathers 
. P. hirsutus. 
Back streaked longitudinally with white. Sides banded with black. Crissum pure white. 
Two inner tail feathers black...p. dorsalis. 
Back streaked longitudinally with white, the sides with black. White lines on the side 
of head very conspicuous. Three inner tail feathers black. Crissum much varied 
with black....... P. tridactylus. 
13 b 
