PICID.E — THE WOUUPECKERS. 



555 



CenluTits carolinus. 



inner web; the outer web with a stripe of white along the middle. Length, 9.7o; wing, 

 about 5.00. Female with the crown ashy ; forehead pale red ; nape bright red. 



Hab. North America, 

 from Atlantic coast to the 

 eastern slope of the Rocky 

 Mountains. Localities : 

 Texas (Dresser, Ibis, 1865, 

 460. resident). 



Specimens vary con- 

 siderably in size (with 

 latitude), and in the 

 tinge of reddish on 

 chin, breast, etc. The 

 width of the dorsal 

 bands differs in difter- 

 ent specimens. The 

 rump is banded ; up- 

 per tail-coverts are generally immaculate, but are sometimes daslied with 

 black. Specimens from the Mississippi Valley are generally more brightly 



colored than those from the Atlantic 

 States, the lower parts more strongly 

 tinged with red. Florida examples are 

 smaller tliau northern ones, the black bars 

 broader, the lower parts deeper ashy and 

 strongly tinged with red, but of a more 

 ptu'plish shade than in western ones. 



Habits. The Red-bellied Wood- 

 pecker is distributed througlioiit North 

 America, from the Atlantic Coast to 

 the eastern slope of the Rocky IMoiui- 

 tains. It is, however, much more abun- 

 dant in the more soutliern and western 

 portions. In the collections of the 

 Smithsonian Institution none are re- 

 corded from farther nortli than Pennsyl- 

 vania on the east and Nebraska Territory on the west, while otliers were 

 obtained as far south as Florida. Nor am I aware that it is found, except 

 very rarely, north of Pennsylvania on the Atlantic coast. I have never met 

 with it in Eastern Massachusetts, altliough Mr. Audubon speaks of it as breed- 

 ing from Maryland to Nova Scotia. Dr. Woodhouse found it common in the 

 Indian Territory and in Texas. Wilson speaks of having found it abundant 

 in Upper Canada, and in the northern parts of tlie State of New York. He 

 also refers to its inhabiting the whole Atlantic States as far as Georgia and 

 the southern extremity of Florida. Its absence in Eastern Massachusetts 

 was noticed by Mr. Nuttall. It is not given by Thompson or Paine as 



Centtirus carolinits. 



