398 



ZOOLOGY BIRDS. 



had congregated from the neighboring mountains, choosing this as a winter 

 retreat. The timber of the valley was principally oaks in the shape of exten- 

 sive groves, with here and there a tall pine interspersed, which bore over its 

 body the marks of the persistent attacks of the woodpeckers, who had, per- 

 haps, resorted hither, season after season, for a long term of years. Within 

 a comparatively small area, there must have been at least a hundred of these 

 birds gathered together, and all combined to make a very happy, noisy 

 family party. Food appeared to be abundant, and obtainable with very 

 little labor, so that there remained plenty of time for play, and they made 

 as joyous a company as one need care to see. They kept up a continual 

 chattering as they chased each other about, which was always good natured 

 in its tone, until they found themselves under an unwonted and unwelcome 

 scrutiny, when they expressed their dissatisfaction by loud cries and angry 

 scoldings, and forsook the low oaks for the high summits of the pines. 

 When I put my gun in use nearly all left the vicinity, to return, however, 

 in a short time, though they were anxious and wary in the extreme. 



MELANERPES ERYTHROCEPHALUS (Linn.). 

 Red-headed Woodpecker. 



Picus erythrocephalus, LINN., Syst. Nat., i, 17CC, 174. 



Melanerpes crythrocephalus, WOODH., Sitgreave'a Exp. Zuiii & Col. Riv., 1854, 91. 

 BD., Birds N. A., 1858, 113. HENRY, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1850, 

 105 (New Mexico). HA\D., Trans. Am. Phil. Soc., xii, 1862, 150. COOPER, 

 Birds Cal., i, 1870, 402. STEV., U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr., 1870, 4G3 (Wyom- 

 ing). ALLEN, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 1872, 180 (Kansas; mountains of 

 Colorado). COUES, Key N. A. Birds, 1872, 196. SNOW, Birds Kan., 1872, 

 5. HOLD., Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., 1872, 207 (Wyoming). BD., BREW., 

 & RIDG., N. A. Birds, ii, 1874, 564, pi. 54, f. 4. HENSHAW, An. Lye. Nat. 

 Hist. N. Y., xi, 1874, 9. Id., An. List Birds Utab, 1872, Wheeler's Exped., 

 1874, 48. Id., Rep. Oru. Specs., 1873, Wheelers Exped., 1874, 67, 96.- 

 COTJES, Birds Northwest, 1874, 290. ALLEN, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., 

 June, 1874, 16, 33. 



In Utah, this woodpecker appears to be rare. It was not observed at 

 all by our parties, and Mr. Ridgway's note of a single bird seen near 



