RED-HEr,MED WOODPECKER. 251 



ill Maiutul);i, north of wliieli I have not heard of its haviiijj; been 

 observed. 



Besides the ordinary food of woodpeckers, it shows a taste for 

 grasshoppers and beetles, in search of which it may often be observed 

 on the groiuid. It is also very fond of ripe fruit, and incurs the 

 serious displeasure of the gardeners by mutilating or carrying off the 

 finest of the apples, pears, cherries and othei' fruits. 



They are rather noisy and (juarrelsome l)irds, but this trait may 

 be partly assumetl. 



They all leave Ontario in Octobei-, and during the winter none are 

 observed. 



Subgenus CENTURU8 Swainsox. 

 MELANERPES CAR0LINU8 (Linn.). 



17S. Red-bellied Woodpecker. (409) 



Back and wings, except larger quills, closely banded witli black and wiiite ; 

 primaries with large w^hite blotches near the base, and usually a few smaller 

 spots ; whole crown and nape, scarlet in the male, partly so in the female ; 

 sides of head and under parts, grayish-white, usuall}* with a yellow shade, 

 reddiiiiiitj on belly ; flanks and crissum, with sagittate-l)lack marks ; tail, 

 black, one or two outer feathers white, barred ; inner web of central feathers 

 white with black spots ; outer wel) of same black, with a white space next the 

 shaft for most of its length ; white predominating on the rump. Length, 9-10 ; 

 wing, about o ; tail, about 85. 



Hab. — Eastern United States, to the Rocky Ab)untains : laie or accidental 

 east of the Hudson River. 



Nest, a hole in a tree. 



Eggs, four to six, white. 



This handsome woodpecker is gradually becoming more common in 

 Southern Ontario, and like some others, such as the Lark-finch, 

 Orchard Oriole and Rough-winged Swallow, it evidently makes its 

 entrance to the Province round the west end of Lake Erie. 



It seems to find its northern limit in Southern Ontario, and even 

 there confines itself chiefly to the south-west portion. Stragglers 

 have been found near Toronto and Hamilton, while near London it 

 breeds and is tolerably common, but Mr. White has not yet found it 

 in Ottawa, and it is not included among the "Birds of Manitolia." 



In the "Birds of Ohio," Dr. Wheaton mentions it as a common 

 summer resiflent, but it is not named among the " Birds of Minne- 



