nJItnS OF KANSAS. 337 



able to collect their eggs, which are said to be four to six; from 

 tlie various ineasuretnents that I have examined, l.UTx.Sl is, I 

 think, about the average size; in form, rather subspherical. 



Subgenus CENTURUS Swainson. 



"Back and wings banded transversely with black and white. Crown more 

 or less red; rest of head, with under parts, grayish, and with led or yellow tinge 

 on the middle of the abdomen. Rump white." 



Melanerpes carolinus (I.ixn.). 



RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. 

 PLATE XXII. 



Resident; abundant. Begin laying early in April. 



B. 91. R. 372. C. 450. G. 171, 159. U. 409. 



Habitat. Eastern United States; west to eastern base of the 



Rocky Mountains; south to Florida and central Texas; rare or 



accidental east of the Hudson River. 



Sp. Chak. "Third, fourth and fifth quills nearly equal, and longest; Seconal 

 (or outermost) and seventh about equal. Top of head and nape crimson red. 

 Forehead whitish, strongly tinged with light red, a shade of which is also seen 

 on the cheek, still stronger on the middle of the belly. Under parts brownish 

 white, with a faint wash of yellowish on the belly. Back, rump aud wing cov- 

 erts banded black and white; upper tail coverts white, with occasional blotches. 

 Tail feathers black, first transversely banded with white; second less so; all 

 the rest with whitish tips. Inner feathers banded with white on the inner web; 

 the outer web with a stripe of white along the middle. Female with the ci'own 

 ashy; forehead pale red; nape bright red." 



Ta rsus. Bill. 



.83 1.15 



.82 1.10 



Iris bright red; bill and claws black; legs and feet greenish 

 blue. 



This restless, noisy species prefers for its home the timbered 

 bottom lands bordering the streams; but it is by no means a 

 shy or wary bird, often visiting, and occasionally breeding in, 

 the groves and trees about our upland dwellings. And in its 

 search for food, regardless of our presence, it climbs in its usual 

 spiral or zigzag manner the trees and their branches, boldly ut- 

 tering now and then its familiar "Chaw-chaw"; darting off oc- 

 casionally to catch a passing insect upon the wing. Its flight 



—22 



