Red-bellied Woodpecker 237 



and only held five or six acorns, each tightly wedged in, 

 while others, three inches across and extending down- 

 v.ards for six or eight inches, held many more. It was 

 evident that the birds brought the acorns to the 

 holes and shelled them there, as the ground beneath 

 was littered with empty shells. These observations 

 were made at Happy Canon, about twenty miles south- 

 east of Denver, in November, and were published by 

 Brewster (98). 



The eggs of this Woodpecker are deposited m natural 

 cavities or old Flicker-holes, generally in old pines or 

 spruces, or in cotton- woods on the plains. Gale states 

 that they seldom if ever excavate a new hole for them- 

 selves. The eggs, usually seven, are very ovate, white 

 and not very glossy, and measure 103 x "80, Both 

 sexes share in incubation, and fresh eggs may be met 

 with between May 15th and June 15th. 



Genus CENTURUS. 



Closely resembling Melanerpes in structure, but with a different 

 style of coloration ; the back and wings closely cross-barred with black 

 and white. 



Three species in the United States. 



Red-bellied Woodpecker. Centurus carolinus. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 409 — Colorado Records — Ridgway 73, p. 185; 

 Morrison 89, p. 145 ; Cooke 97, pp. 84, 208. 



Description. — Male — Crown and nape bright scarlet ; upper-parts 

 cross-barred with black and white ; primaries and tail-feathers black 

 with white markings, chiefly sjDots and edgings ; below and sides of 

 the face grey, with a faint wash of yellow, reddening on the abdomen ; 

 iris red, bill black, legs dusky slate. Length 8-4 ; wing 5-1 ; tail 3-25 ; 

 culmen l-l ; tarsus '85. 



The female has the crown grey, the frontal plumes dull red and the 

 nape scarlet. Young birds are very like the adults, but the red on the 

 head is rather indistinct and the belly buffy. 



Distribution. — Eastern North America from Ontario and Massa- 

 chusetts to Florida and Texas, west to Kansas and Nebraska. 



