PIOAEIAE— PIGIDAE— COLAPTES MEXICANUS. 401 



1859, Birds, IC— Kbnneuly, P. R. E. Rep., Whipple's Route, x, 1859, 22.— 

 Henry, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1859, lOG (New Mexico).— Coop. & 

 SucKL., P. R. R. Rep., xii, pt. ii, 18G0, 1G3.— Hayd., Trans. Am. Pbil. Soc, 

 xii, 1802, 156.— CouES, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pliila., 18G6, 50 (Fort Whipple, 

 Ariz.).— Cooper, Birds Cal., i, 1870, 408.— Stev., U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr., 

 ' 1870, 4G3.— Allen, Bui. Mus. Com. Zoiil., 1872, 180.— Cotjes, Key N. A. 



Birds, 1872, 198.— Hold., Proc. Best. Soc. Nat. Hist., 1872, 207.— Snow, 

 Birds Kau., 1872, 5.— Yarrow & Henshaw, Rep. Orn. Specs., 1872, 

 Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 24.— Bd., Brew., & Ridg., N. A. Birds, ii, 1874, 

 678, pi. 55, figs. 3. 4.— Allen, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., June, 1874, 33.— 

 CouES, Birds Northwest, 1874, 294. 

 Colaptes mexicanoides, Woodh., Sitgreave's Exp. Zuui & Col. Riv., 1854, 91, 

 Colaptes auratus var. mexicamis, Henshaw, An. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y., xi, 1874, 9. — 

 Id., An. List Birds Utah, 1872. Wheeler's Exped., 1874, 48.-1(7., Rep. Orn. 

 Specs., 1873, Wheeler's Exped., 1874, G7, 91, 134. 



In Utah, owing to the general absence of timber, none of the Picidce 

 were common except in some few locaHties »among the mountains. This 

 species is very generally distributed throughout the Territories of Utah and 

 Nevada. 



At Prove, in July, but few individuals were seen ; but in December at 

 this place they were very common. Nests often seen in holes in banks of 

 streams. 



Abundant everywhere in Colorado, frequenting indifferently the decid- 

 uous and coniferous trees up to timber line. A natural cavity in a cotton- 

 wood tree contained three fresh eggs.- This was May 22. A male taken 

 at Fort Garland is noticeable as having distinct black markings in the red 

 maxillary patch. 



In Arizona and New Mexico, this woodpecker has perhaps the widest 

 diffusion of any of the family ; occupying the country generally, extend- 

 ing from the timbered streams of the plains to the mountain tops. In the 

 wide region which it inhabits, the species seems to vary its habits very 

 Kttle, except in some localities where the absence of ti-ees renders a change 

 in nesting necessary; and, other conditions being favorable, it readily 

 adapts itself to the circumstances, and, like the Kingfisher, excavates its 

 burrow in the horizontal banks of streams. In the mountains of Arizona, 

 however, it can be said to be the exact counterpart of the Yellow Flicker ; 

 26 z 



