Interior of British North America. 53 



head was remarkably well done, retaining in perfection all the 

 features of life. He would not give it me, as it was a great 

 charm, being hung up in the lodge always when " medicine was 

 being made" (which medicine-making consists in a great amount 

 of singing, drumming, and certain mysterious operations) for 

 the benefit of his wife, who had been injured many years before 

 when dressing a buffalo-robe, and had never entirely recovered 

 from the accident. The Indian^s name was " Ousa-wanaskie" (the 

 Yellow Otter). He was very chary of the specimen, and it was 

 only with great difficulty that I could induce him to lend it me 

 while I made a coloured drawing of its head, as I was then 

 doubtful whether I should meet with another. When done, 

 however, he was much delighted with the drawing, and took it 

 to show to his wife and family, whom it was very amusing to 

 watch as they compared the original and the representation. 

 This they deemed highly satisfactory, and it served me very well 

 in lieu of a preserved skin. The Pileated Woodpecker has not 

 been obtained from the neighbourhood of Hudson^s Bay, and on 

 the Mackenzie is noted as rare. It is known to the inland Cree 

 Indians as " Ma-maou." 



23. Melanerpes torquatus. 



Lewises Woodpecker, being a western bird, had not been found 

 in British territory before my specimen noted in a former paper 

 in ' The Ibis ' (vol. iv. p. 3). The locality was on Bow River, at 

 the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains ; but I am unable to 

 add any particulars concerning the species, having only obtained 

 that one specimen. Melanerpes erythrocephalus of the ' Fauna 

 Bor.-Ara.' has been found on the Upper Missouri, but I did 

 not meet with it. 



24. COLAPTES AURATUS. 



Besides the specimen noted in my original paper (' Ibis/ vol. 

 iv. p. 3), from Hudson's Bay, others have been presented to the 

 Smithsonian Institution, from Red River Settlement, and Nelson 

 River between Hudson's Bay and Lake Winipeg, while it is given 

 by Mr. Bernard Ross as common as far north on the Mackenzie 

 as the Arctic Circle. The Yellow-winged Woodpecker is among 

 the earliest arrivals from the south, whence it comes in large 



