MELANERPES Eli YTlWOCEriiMUs. 363 



r l;;ivc ('(uuiil the Ecd-bcUied Woodpeckers but once in Pennsylvaniii, that was on 

 (he second of October, 1875, at Watsontown. They occur in Southern Now Enghind and, 

 JUS rare strag^^jlers, iu Western Massachusetts. I think those that pass the sunniier north 

 of the Candiiias must arrive hite iu the season and (U'part early. 



GENUS 111. Mr.LANERl'ES. THE RED-IIEADEl) WOODPECKERS. 



(Ikv. Cil. S/rrimm, hmrc n.t widr as the heirjhl of the kiel. Maryinal indentations^ deep, allbcing equal in dtplh to lite 

 hciyht of the keel. Posterior bonier of slcrnum, emarijinatf . Manubrium, very f mall. Terminal hook of seapul a, anrjied 

 on the upper and lower sides. Tonrjue, provided with extensible sheath, and the eerato-hyals are elonijated, extendiwj around 

 the baek of the skull as far, at least, as the orbit of the eye. Proventriculus, small. Stomaeh , somewhat muscular. Salivary 

 i/lands, quite well developed. Upper mandible, sliyhtly curved. 



Jloiiibers of tliis genus are innrUe.l on the head with scarlet but are nut transvei-sely banded above or below. The tail 

 feathei-saro quite acuminate. The hind toe exceeds one half the length of the outer which Ls projected backward. There 

 i.s but one specie-s within our limits. 



MELANERPES ERYTHROCEPHALUS. 



Red-headed Woodpecker. 



Melancrpcs crythroccphalus Swaixsox, F. 1!ov. Am., 11; 1831, .'iKi. 



DESCRIPTION 



Sr. Cn. Form, robust. Size, large. Sternum, not very stout. Ton2;ue, long, narrow, notvery thin, and homy atthe 

 tip which is pointed and provided with barbs for threa fourths of the terminal portion. Tiie estcnsilde sheath occupies 

 about one half the length of the tongue. The salivary gland which is a hollow cylinder, lies along the maxillary bone and 

 tongue; it niea-^ures about ■ 10 in diameter by -85 in length. There are no laryngeal muscles, excepting the sterno-trachealis 

 wl;ie!i is stout. The tymjianiform memlirane is present and although there is an os transversale, yet it does not supi>ort a 

 semihinar membrane. The rasophagus is without dilatatiim and opens into a very small proventriculus which mensurcs 

 abimt "20 in external diameter. The gastric glaniis are sim])lc, very small and placed in a zonular band which measures 

 about '50 in width. The stomaeh is rather globular in f)riu with very muscular walls that measure -30 in thickncs-s, and 

 the lining memliranc is rugose. The fold of the duodenum is ([uite long and incloses a small, narrow pancrea.s. The spleen 

 is an elliptical liody lying almost entirely on the proventriculus. The left lobe of the liver is only about one half as large as 

 the right. 



CoU)R. Adult. Head all around, including nape, chin, throat, and upper breast, scarlet; the latter, narrowly banded 

 with black. Casal half of wings, whole of primaries, and tail, black, with bluish reflections. Terminal half of secondaries, 

 rump, ujiper tail coverts, tips of all, but central pair of tail foathei-s, outer web of outer pair, and under parts, including' 

 under wing and tail coverts, white, with the abdimicn tinged with yellowish. Bill, bluish, black at tip. Feet, greenish- 

 brown. 



Young. There is no scarlet on the head or breast, exceii'ing occa.'^ionally a few stray feathei-s; this color being replaced 

 by dusky, overwashcd above by yellowish-rufbus and grayish, and streaked below by the same. The black feathers of the 

 back and wings, including the primaries, are edged with ginyi^Ii and the white is barred with rather wide bands of black. 

 The tail is similar to that of the adult but the white markings arc not as wide. The white beneath is overwashcd with 

 yellowish-rufous, and streaked on the sides and il.inks witli du'^ky. Bill, wholly black. 



Nestlings. Similar to the young, but there is more yellowish-ruf lus above and it even extends over the back, and the 

 dusky stri|)cs below are more numerous. Sexes, similar in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



There is little, or no, variation in plumage in the adult, hut one now bi^forc me has the scarlet of the head tinged with 

 yellow, and one, a fully adult male procured at William^iiort in spring, presents a remarkal)lc character for the feathers 

 directly beneath the eye are grayisli in color and greatly (elongated, mea-:uring about 00 in length. The young vary con- 

 siderably more than the adult, the main difference being in a greater or less amount of black above and below. Readily 

 known from all others by the description as given. Distributed in summer throughimt the Eastern Secticm of the United 

 States, rare in Northern New England. Wintci-s in the Jlidilli' and Southern Portions, some remaining as far north as 

 Pennsylvania 



