ASYNDESMUS TORQUATUS, LEWIS WOODPECKER. 



291 



says, it arrives the latter part of April ami departs in September or the 

 beginuing of October. That even this species, however, sometimes 

 liDgers through the winter in Pennsylvania is shown by Prof. Baird's 

 record of Carlisle specimens, among which are observed captures in De- 

 cember and February. I do not think that any Eed-heads endure the 

 severe winters of the Upper Missouri, P. riUosns and puhescens being the 

 only species I have observed in Dakota at this season. 



ASYNDESMUS TOEQUATUS, (Wils.) Coues. 

 Lewis's Woodpecker, 



Picus iorqnafus, W' ils., Am. Orn. iii, 1811, 31, pi. 20, fig. 3.— Bp., Syn. 1828, 46.— Nutt., 

 Man. i, 1832, 577.— AuD., Orn. Biog. v, 170, pi. 416; Syu. 1839, 184; B. Aui. iv, 

 1842, 280, pi. 272.— SuND., Cousp. Av. Pic. 1866, 51. 



Melanerpes torquatus, Bp., Consp. Av. i, 1850, 115. — Heekm., Jonrn. Phila. Acad, ii, 1853, 

 270.— Newb., p. E. R. Rep. vi, 1857, 90.— Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 1 15.— Heei!M., P. 

 E. E. Eep. X, 1859, pt. vi, 58.— Coop. & Suck., N. H. Wash. Ter. 1860. 161.— H ayd., 

 Eep. 1862, 156.— Coop.. B. Cal. i, 1870, 406.— Aleex, Bull. M. C. Z. iii, 1872, 180.— 

 Aiken, Pr. Bost. Soc. 1872, 207.— Stev., U. S. Geol. Snrv. Ter. 1870,463.— Merp.., 

 ihid. 1872, 695.— B. B. & E., N. A. B. ii, 1874, 561, pi. 54, fig. 5. 



CcIe.HS lorquatus, Woodie, Sitgr. Eep. 1853, 90 (excl. syn. Gm., Less., TVaf/l.) 



Asyvdesmns forqualiis. Coues, Pr. Pbila. Acad. 1866, 56.— Coues, Key, 1872, 197. 



Melanerpes {Asyndesmus) torquatus, Gpay, Hand-list, ii, 1870, 201, No. 8818. 



Pitus moida-,.us, OwD, Gutlu'ie's Geog. 2d Am. ed. 1815, 316. 



" Picus hwisii, Dkapiez." (fide G. E. Gray). 



Hah. — Eastern slopes and foot-bills of the Eocky Mountains to the Pacific, United 

 States. 



List of specimens. 



19185 

 19186 

 19331 

 19332 

 19.333 

 19334 



82 

 10 



Snake River . .. 

 WiudE. Mts.. 

 Yellowstone R 

 Bighorn Mts. .. 



do 

 do 



2 



Jime 17, 1860 

 May 26, 1860 

 June 23, 1860 

 June 15. 1660 

 June 20, 1860 

 June 20, 1860 



F. V. Haydeu 

 do 



G. H. Trook. 



do 



do 



do 



Lieutenant Warreii's Expedition.— "No. 4668, Cheyenne River; 8810-15. Laramie Peak. 



Later EjC2}editions.—b98U-i6, Colorado; 54303," 60355, Wyoming, 62274-76, Idaho. 



The plumage of this remarkable Woodpecker is peculiar, both in 

 texture and color; no other species of our country shows such a rich 

 metallic iridescence, or such intense crimson, and in none is the plumage 

 so curiously moditied into a bristly character. Unlike most species, 

 again, the sexes are not certainly distinguishable. The young, however, 

 dilfer very materially, the under i)arts being dull gray, only here and 

 there slashed with red, the face lacking the crimson velvety pilous area, 

 and the upper parts being much les.s lustrous. 



This line species, like ^phip'apieu.s fhyroidcns, is chieliy a bird of the 

 vast forests tliat clothe most ot our mountain ranges with permanent 

 verdure. With this limitation its distribution is exten.sive, as noteil 

 above. My own experience with the bird in life is confined to the 

 vicinity of Fort Whipple, in Aiizona, where it is a very common species. 

 A bird of singular aspect, many of its habits are no less pe(;tdiar. One 

 seeing it for the lirst time would hardly take it for a Woodpecker, unless 

 he happened to ob.serve it clambering over the trunk ot a tree, or tap- 

 ping for insects, in the nninner jiecnliar to its tril)e. When Hving, the 

 large, dark binl might ratiier be mistaken for a Ciow IJhickbird; for, 

 aitliough it sometimes swings itself from one tree to another, in a long 

 festoon, like other Woodpeckers, its ordinary tlight is more lirm and 



