BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER. 397 
GENUS PICOIDES. Lacepede. 
Biil much depressed at base, with lateral ridges much nearer commissure than culmen ; 
gonys very long, equal to distance from nostrils to tip. Feet with only three toes, the 
first or inner hind toe wanting, outer front toe a little longer than inner, slightly ex- 
ceeded by hind toe. Wings very long, reaching beyond middle of tail. 
PICOIDES ARCTICUS (Sw) Gr. 
WBlack-backed Woodpecker. 
Picoides arcticus, WHEATON, Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1860, 379, (probable); Reprint, 1861, 22, 
(probable) —BArIrRD, BREWER and RIDGWAY, ii, 1874, 521. 
Picus (Apternus) arcticus, SWAINSON, Fn. Bor. Am. ii, 1831, 313. 
Picoides arcticus, GRAY, Gen. of Birds, ii, 434. 
Crown with a yellow patch in the male. Back uniform black, sides of head striped, 
of body barred, with black and white; under parts otherwise white; quills with white 
spots; tail feathers unbarred, the outer white, the central black. Length, 8-9; wing, 
43-5; tail, 34-4. 
Habitat, Northern North America. into the northern United States in winter, and in 
all probability resident along our northern frontier, as well as farther south in moun- 
tainous regions. ; 
Rare or accidental, and probably in winter only, in Northern Ohio. 
Mr. Kirkpatrick informed me in 1861, that 1t was said to have occurred 
in Ashtabula county, but with his characteristic caution, added “not 
having seen the specimen I cannot vouch for the truth of the statement.” 
It was accordingly mentioned in my catalogue in the list of probabilities, 
It was ommitted from a subsequent list, no further evidence of its occur- 
rence having been obtained. 
Dr. Brewer in the work cited, says: ‘‘It has been found as far south 
as Massachusetts, New York and Ohio, but rarely,” and in correspon- 
dence with me in regard to its occurence, wrote that his statement was 
based upon one specimen sent to him with other birds, by a local col- 
lector, of Akron, Summit county, Ohio, and that, as the birds were sent 
to him for identification, he had no doubt they were shot in that vicinity. 
The nearest locality to us in which this Woodpecker is known to be a 
permanent resident is Lewis county, New York, where both it and the 
Banded Three-toed Woodpecker (P. americanus) have been discovered to 
breed by Dr. C. H. Merriam. The eggs measure .91 by .70. 
Genus SPHYRAPICUS. Baird. 
Bill as in Picus, but the very prominent lateral ridge terminating at the middle of 
the commissure; lateral outline of bill concave to near the tip. Outer toes longest, 
the inner posterior toe very short, less than inner anterior without claw. Wings long 
and pointed. Tail feathers very broad, abruptly acuminate, with a very long linear tip. 
Tongue, scarcely extensible. 
