PICID.E—PICIN.E : WOODPECKERS. 



595 



of Lowor California, and extends in W. Mexico to Aguas Calieutes and Jalisco. Eggs 3-5, 

 0.97 X 0.70 on an average, Mith the usual range of variation, thus indistinguishable from 

 those of several other species ; laid April and May- 



3IELANEK'PES. (Gr. /x«'Xay, melas, black ; (pnrjs, herpes, a creeper.) Tricolor Wood- 

 peckers. Bill about as long as head, depressed at base, coni|)ressed beyond, cuhncn and 

 gonys ridged but curved throughout, sides of upper mandible distinctly ridged but a little way, 

 end of bill pointed with little bevelling; nasal tufts small, not concealing nostrils. Outer 

 posterior and anterior toes of equal lengths. Wings pointed by 3d, 4th, and 5th quills; 2d 

 shorter than (ith; 1st spurious. Plumage lustrous and "broad" in coloration, with bhick, 

 white, and red in masses, little or not spotty or streaky. Sexes alike and young different, or 

 sexes unlike and young similar. Our two species are very different, requiring no analysis of 

 their characters. 



31. erythroce'phalus. (Gr. ipvOpos, cruthros, red ; KecfyaXrj, kephale, head. Fig. 408.) Red- 

 iiE.\i>i:i) Woodpecker. Tricolor. Adult ^ 9 : Beautifully tricolor with " the red, white, 

 and blue.'' Back, wings, and tail glossy blue-black ; seconda- 

 ries, upper tail-coverts, under wing-coverts, under parts from 

 breast, and ends of some outer tail-feathers, white. Whole 

 head, neck, and fore breast crimson, usually black-bordered 

 where adjoining the white. The white of wings and rump is 

 pure; that of belly usually tinged with ochraceous or reddish; 

 the white quills have black shafts. The red feathers are stiff'- 

 ish and simiewhat bristly in their colored portions. The gloss 

 is sometimes green instead of blue. Bill and feet dusky horn- 

 color. Iris brown. Length 8..)0-9..50; extent 16.00-18.00; 

 wing 5.00-5.50; tail 3.50; bill 1.00-1.12; wh(de foot l.()7. 

 Young J 9 '■ Ked {)arts of adult, gray, streaked with dusky ; 

 the red appears m irregular patches. Feathers of back and 

 wing-coverts skirted with light gray, and mixed with concealed 

 whitish, in bars. Primaries and tail-feathers tipped and edged 

 with white. White of secondaries broken with black bars or 

 spots. At a very early age, wh<de under parts streaked with 

 dusky much like the head, but these parts whiten before the 

 head reddens. Eastern U. S. and British Provinces, irregularly 

 rare or common northerly, abounding in most U. S. k)calities pio. 408. — Red-headed Wood- 



except New England ; common N. to 49° along Red River of the pecker, reduced. (Si.eppard del. 



,.,,,,'.,,., . TT 1 . ■ , Nichols sc. ) 



iSorth; W. to Kocky Mts., sometimes to Utali, Arizona, and 



California; migratory in most sections, yet also resident to some extent throughout its range, 

 being seen in the dejtth of winter even along our northern border — it is a bundle ot contradic- 

 tions 111 this and most other respects. A very familiar bird, in orchards and gardens as well as lu 

 woods, conspicuous as a gay tricolor banner, and a great genius, no less brilliant and versatile 

 III character than in plumage — very accomplished, of endless resources, with tricks and man- 

 ners enough to liil tlie rest of this volume with good reading matter! Feeds much ou acorus, 

 nuts, iierries, an<l various fruits as well as upon insects ; sometimes lays up a store, like tlio 

 Caiifornian Woodpecker, and to some extent is cannilialistic. Nest anywhere in wood, pref- 

 erably th(; blasted toj) of a tree, tiug to a depth of a few inches or two feet, with a round hole 

 too small to admit the hand Fggs 4-8, usually 5 or <!. averaging 1.00 X 0.75, Itut vt-ry 

 variaide, glossy and roundish as usual in the family, in most of its range laid late in May and 

 < arly in June. Twtj luoods southerly. 



M. fonnlci'vorus. (Lat. /o/»/((vf, an ant; roro, I devour. Fii;. 409.) Ant-k.vtino Wood- 

 I'l.iKKR. Arizona Acor.n Woodpecker. Adult ^ 9 • Glossy blue-black ; rumj), bases 



