TEXAS WOODPECKER 79 



and when once learned is distinguishable with ease from that of the 

 other small woodpeckers. It resembles more the high note of some 

 small Avoodwind instrument than anything else, having a definite 

 clarinetlike quality. 



Descriptions of bird notes are notoriously variable because of the 

 variability of the human ear, and many attempts at phonetic repro- 

 duction of the bird notes are unsuccessful, and when, as is so often 

 done, the attempt is directed to reproduction in syllables, the result 

 is usually a futile and meaningless onomatopoeia. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Southeastern United States; nonmigratory. 



The range of the red-cockaded woodpecker extends north to north- 

 eastern Oklahoma (Copan) ; southern Missouri (Shannon County) ; 

 Tennessee (Beersheba and Allardt) ; and North Carolina (Red 

 Springs and Beaufort) . East on the Atlantic coast from North Caro- 

 lina (Beaufort) to southern Florida (Long Pine Key). South on 

 the Gulf coast from the Florida Keys (Long Pine Key) to south- 

 eastern Texas (Houston). West to Texas (Houston) ; northwestern 

 Louisiana (Mansfield) ; probably western Arkansas (Mena) ; and 

 eastern Oklahoma (Tulsa and Copan). 



Casual records. — It seems probable that this species may breed or 

 upon occasion has bred in the vicinity of Raleigh, N. C, as it was 

 noted there several times in April from 1890 to 1898. It also has 

 been reported as seen at Piney Creek, N. C, on July 6, 1932, and on 

 September 12, 1933. 



A specimen in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 

 was collected near that city in 1861 ; one in the collection of the Ohio 

 State University was taken near Columbus, Ohio, on March 15, 1872. 

 According to Stone (1909) the collection of George N. Lawrence 

 contained a specimen taken near Hoboken, N. J. 



Egg dates. — Florida: 30 records, April 3 to May 28; 15 records, 

 April 29 to May 20, indicating the height of the season. 



South Carolina : 14 records, April 27 to May 28. 



DRYOBATES SCALARIS SYMPLECTUS Oberholser 



TEXAS WOODPECKER 

 HABITS 



This is the subspecies that was formerly known as Baird's wood- 

 pecker, Dryohates scalaris bairdi, which was then understood to be 

 the resident bird of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. But when 

 Dr. H. C. Oberholser (1911b) revised the scaUris group, the name 

 bairdi was restricted to the bird of central Mexico, and the Texas 



