886 BIBDS OF ILUNOIS. 



is rather a noisy bird, its empliatic and not disagreeable notes of 

 chuck, chuck, chuck, or chow, chow, chow, being frequently repeated. 



In contest with the Red-headed Woodpecker it is, so far as I 

 have observed, invariably vanquished. 



In the northern portion of the state it is comparatively rare, and 

 also said to be only a summer resident. Mr. H. K. Coale informs 

 me that he saw a pair in Lincoln Park, Chicago, in July, and that 

 they were evidently breeding there, as he saw one of them come 

 out of a hole in the dead top of an oak tree. 



Genus COLAPTUS Swainsos. 



Colaplea SwAissoN, Zool. Jour. 111. Deo. 1827, 353. Type Cuculus auratug Liss. 



"6ek. Cbab. Bill slender, depressed at the base, then compressed. Culmen much 

 curved, gonys straight; both with acute ridges, and coming to quite a sharp point with 

 the commissure at the end; the bill consequently not truncate at the end. No ridges on 

 the bill. Nostrils basal, median, oval and exposed. Oonys very short; about half the 

 oulmen. Feet large, the anterior outer toe considerably lunger than the posterior. Tall 

 long, exceeding the secondaries; the feathers suddenly acuminate, with elongated 

 points." (Hist. N. Am. B.) 



Excluding the C. chrysoides, Malh., which is confined to the ex- 

 treme southwestern portion of the Union, (Arizona and southern 

 Cahfomia), the two remaining North American species of Culaptcs 

 may be distinguished as follows : 



Common Chabactebs. Head and neck ashy or brown, unvaried except by n black nr 

 red malar patch in the male, and sometimes, in both sexes, a scarlet occipital patch. 

 Back and wings brown, banded transversely with black; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 white. Beneath whitish, with circular black spots, and bands on crlssum; a black pec- 

 toral crescent. Shafts and under surfaces of quills and tail-fcatherseltheryellow orred. 



1. C. aoratUB. Under surface and shafts of wings and tall rich golden yellow. A red 

 nuchal crescent. Throat jilnkish. top of head ashy. Male with the "moustaches" 

 glossy black. Hab. Eastern North America. 



2. C. mexioanuB, Under surface and shafts of wings and tail pinkish red. No red 

 nuchal crescent. Throat ash. top of head brownish. Male with the "moustaches" 

 bright red. Hab. Western North America. 



Distinct as these two forms appear to be, they are yet connected 

 by a series of intermediate specimens which have been a great 

 puzzle to ornithologists. This intermt'diate seiies is further con- 

 sidered under the head of C. hyhriilus on page 387. 



