PICID.E — THE WOODPECKERS. 581 



quoted by Mr. Audubon, states that he first came upon tliis bird in the nar- 

 row belt of forest which borders Laramie's Fork of the Platte, and adds 

 that he scarcely lost sight of it from that time until he reached the shores 

 of the Pacific. Its manners, in all respects, are so- entirely similar to those 

 of the common species that the same description applies t(j both. He also 

 regards it as the shyer bird of the two, and less frequently seen on the 

 ground. They burrow in the oak and pine trees, and lay white eggs, after 

 the manner of the whole family, and these eggs are in no wise distinguisli- 

 able from those of the Golden-wing. 



Dr. Cooper, in his Eeport upon the birds of California, refers to this as a 

 common species, and found in every part of the State except the bare plains. 

 It even frequents the low bushes, where no trees are to be seen for miles. 

 In the middle wooded districts, and towards the north, it is much more 

 abundant than elsewhere. 



Their nesting-holes are at all heights from the ground, and are usually 

 about one foot in depth. In the southern part of the State their eggs are 

 laid in April, but farther north, at the Columbia, in May. 



Dr. Cooper attributes their shyness in certain localities to their being 

 liunted so much by the Indians for their bright feathers. Generally he 

 found them quite tame, so that their interesting habits may be ^^■atched 

 without difficulty. He regards tiiem as an exact counterpart of the eastern 

 auratus, living largely on insects and ants, which they collect without much 

 trouble, and do not depend upon hard work, like other Woodpeckers, for their 

 food. During the season they also feed largely on berries. Their curved 

 bill is not well adapted for hammering sound wood for insects, and they only 

 dig into decayed trees in search of their food. Like the eastern species, the 

 young of these birds, when their nest is approached, make a curious hissing- 

 noise. They may be seen chasing each other round the trunk of trees, as 

 if in sport, uttering, at the same time, loud cries like v)liittoo, idiittoo, irhiffuo. 

 Dr. Kennerly found these birds from the Big Sandy to the Great Colorado, 

 but they were so shy that he could not obtain a specimen. They were seen 

 on the barren hills among the large cacti, in which they nest. Tlieir extreme 

 shyness was fully explained afterwards by finding how closely they are 

 hunted by tlie Indians for tlie sake of their feathers, of which head-dresses 

 are made. 



]\Ir. Dresser states that this l)ird is found as far east as San Antonio, where, 

 however, it is of uncommon occurrence. In December he noticed several 

 near the Nueces River, and in February and March obtained others near 

 Piedras Negras. 



Dr. Coues gives it as abundant and resident in Arizona, where it is found 

 in all situations. Its tongue, he states, is capable of protrusion to an extent 

 far beyond that of any other North American Woodpecker. 



This bird, in some parts of California, is known as the Yellow-Hammer, a 

 name given in some j^arts of New England to tlie Colaptcs auratus. ]\Ir. 



