smaller than the former. We have another, again, from Georgia, which we
strongly suspect to be a distinct species, intermediate between the Pennsylvanian
specimens of villosus and the Picus querula of Wilson, now before us. It is
obviously a fine, full-plumaged male, perfectly resembling, in its general
markings and proportions, the smaller specimens of villosus; but the red occipital
band is so broadly and decidedly divided by deep black, that it is reduced to the
appearance of two lateral transverse red spots, the space between which is full
three-tenths of an inch wide : it is rather smaller than the smallest of our New
York specimens of villosus; other more minute differences will be perceived by
reference to the vignette. As yet we have seen but one specimen. Should it
eventually prove a distinct species, we wish to record it by the name of our
friend, M. Audubon, whose exquisite Illustrations of the Birds of his native
country justly entitles him to this tribute of our admiration; and we trust our
friend will be able to procure a sufficient number of specimens from his native
province (Louisiana), to establish the Picus Audubonii as a species work.—Sw. in his great
DESCRIPTION .
Of a male, killed, March, 1827, on the Saskatchewan.
Colour.—Eye band extending to the nape, maxillary stripe prolonged down the neck to
the scapulars, and the ground of the dorsal plumage velvet-black, pure and shining on the
head. A scarlet occipital band divided in the middle (in some specimens) by black. Supraorbital
line terminating in the crest, stripe from the nostrils half way along the neck, the chin,
and under plumage, broad stripes on the interscapulars and on the inner webs of the scapulars,
and the tips of the downy rump feathers, white. Wings marked with large roundish spots of
the same, forming about eight rows: inner coverts spotted with black. Tail coverts and
two middle pairs of tail feathers quite black; third pair white at the tip and half way down the
outer web ; next pair having a black spot at the base, and the outer pair entirely brownish-
white *. Bill greenish-black, pale at the base beneath. Legs oil-green.
F orm, typical. Third, fourth, fifth, and sixth quills nearly equal; the fourth or fifth the
longest; second mostly shorter than the seventhir^-The female wants the red occipital band.
The white eye stripes, which in some females nearly meet on the occiput, in others are widely
separated by black.—R.
Young males of the first year, in our possession, killed near New York, have the red band
distinctly divided; but the pale brown tips of the intervening feathers prove this to be the
effect of youth.—Sw.
* A northern specimen has a black spot on the outer feather of one side ; and in one of Mr. Swainson’s New York
specimens there are two distinct black spots on the inner web of each .of the outer pair of tail feathers.
Dimensions
Of the male.
Length, total'.
Inch.
. 11
Lin.
0 Length of bill to rictus . 1 8 Length of versatile toe .
Inch.
0
Lin.
8
„ of tail . . . 4 3 ,, of tarsus . 0 11 „ of its nail . 0 5
„ of wing . 5 4i „ of middle toe . 0 n v; of hind toe . 0 3*
„ of bill above . 1 6* „ of its nail . 0 4f ,, of its nail . . 0 3
The female is upwards of an inch shorter, and its bill measures a quarter of an inch less.
1. Picus (Dendrocopus) villosus. Bill of the male. 5. Var. ? (Audubonii.) Bill.
2. „ „ „ Bill of the female. 6- „ Section.
3. „ „ „ Section of the bill. 7. ■ Greater wing cover.
4. „ „ „ Greater wing cover.
[102.] 3. Picus ( D e n d r o c o p u s ) p u b e s c e n s . (Sw.) Downy Woodpecker.
Ge n u s , Picus, L in n . Sub-genus, Dendrocopus, K o ch .
Downy Woodpecker (Picus pubescens). P e n n . Arct. Zool., ii., p. 274, No. 165.
Wins., i., p -153, pi. 9, f. 4.
Picus pubescens. V i e i l . Ois. de PAm., ii., p. 65, pl. 121P B on ap. Syn., No. 43.
Paupastuow. Cr é é I n d ia n s .
Ch . Sp . P ic u s (Dendrocopus) pu b e s c e n s , albo nigroque varius ; sublus aïbus, pileo nigro, fasciâ occipitali rubrâ ;
remige septimo secundum longé superanti.
Sp . Ch . D owny W o o d p e c k e r , varied with black and white ; beneath white ; crown and hind head black, the latter
margined by a red band : second quill feather much shorter than the seventh.
Ob s. Lateral tail feathers broad and obtuse ; the shafts broad, terminating in an abrupt point, and not reaching to
the apex of the extreme barbs*|*.
This diminutive but exceedingly industrious Woodpecker is a constant inha-
* The bill of the male bird here described is remarkably longer than any of my specimens from the United States,
and would almost lead us to suspect it to be a different species.—Sw.
f We have no doubt that two, if not three species of these little Woodpeckers, from different parts of North
America, have been confounded under the common name of pubescens. As their elucidation will be interesting, we
shall shortly define the two which do not occur in the Arctic collections. We have several specimens of the two
first in our museum, and they all exhibit the peculiar distinctions by which we now characterise them. When we
2 R 2