300 CENTURUS CARULJJVUS. 



The Yellow-bellied Woo(l[>eckers reach their sumiacr homes about the first of May, 

 deposit their eggs, as shown above, about the sccumkI week in June, the young make their 

 ajipearance in August, and accompany (heir parents for some time. They all leave for the 

 south l)y the first of Novemljcr, migrating quite leisui'oly. These Woodpeckers are ex- 

 tremely abundant in the cypress and other swamps which border the rivers of Florida but 

 arc occasionally found in the piney woods. They keep well up in the tops of the tall trees 

 Ikifc tlieir peculiar notes always betray tlioir presence as tliey are seLlom quiet, constantly 

 calling to one another for they appear to be fond of coi>q);iny and it is not usual to find one 

 Tinaccompanied ])y either some of its ov/u species or by other members of tlie family; thus 

 flocks of Woodpeckers are not unc );umon in this section. 



As we might naturally expect from the peculiar structure of their tongues, the food 

 of these Woodpeckers diifers considerably from that of those species, the lingual organs of 

 whicli nre provided with barbs. The Yellow-bellied Woodpeckers lioing umible (c. ro;i,di]y 

 extract the larviC of the boring beetles from the holes in which they hirk, eat largely of 

 other insects and arc, in fact, quite expert flycatchers, taking their food on the wing very 

 easily. They are also foud of sm;dl fruits and I have even taken dried barberries from their 

 stomachs. Of all the sm;ill Woodpeckers which are called Sap-suckers, these nre the most 

 deserving of the name for they will not only drink the juices of trees but will also eat flie 

 inner bark; in short, in the autumn it is exceedingly diilicult to find one which has not been 

 iiululging in this practice. They drill small holes in the forest, as well as the fruit, trees 

 in order to obtain their favorite food but as these orifices are very small, I do not S(!e flint 

 they are especially injurious to the trees and, even if this were the case, the slight dam- 

 age which these birds occasion is more than counterbalanced by the good which fhey do 

 in destroying multitudes of pernicious insects and therelbre, we may safely consider the 

 Yellow-bellied Woodpeckers as useful birds. 



GENUS I. CENTLIRUS. THE REn-IiELLIRD WOODPECKERS. 



Gen. Cn. Sternum, narrow, not as wii/c as the hci(jlit of ihi Unci. Mnrijinal milenlations, dcnp, all hrinrj equal in depth 

 to the height of the keel, Manuhrium, not very hirtje. Terminal hook if senpula, anijird on the upper and. tower sides. 

 Tongue, provided with extensible sheath, and the eerato-hi/als ar:: elonyafed. cxtendnig around the haek of the skull as far, at 

 least, as the orbit of the eye. Proventriculus , not enlarged. Salwary glands, (/uite well developed. Upper mandible, slight- 

 ly curved. 



Meiiiljcrs uf tliis genus are marked on tlie top of the head with scarlet and transversely banded above. The tail featli- 

 ei-s arc quite acuminate. The hind toe is not half the length of the outer which is projected backward. Tl)crc is but one 

 species within our limits. 



CENTURUS CAROLINTJS. 

 Rod-bGlliod Woodpecker. 



Centurus Carol/nus I'mx, List; 1S38. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Si'. Cm. Form, robust. Size, medium. Sternum, not very stout. Tongue, long, narrow, not very thin nm! horny at 

 the tip wliidi is pointed and provided with liarbs for three fourtlis of the terminal jiortion. The extensible sheath oeeupics 

 about one half the length of the tongue. 



Color. Adult male. Above, including t'lo wings and tail, lustrous-])lack with the feathers of tlie back, wings, and 

 rump cros,scd liy bands of w-hite,esceptinji terminal tl;i:-d of the primaries which arc tijijicd with the same color, ["i'pcv liui 



