BATCH ELDER'S WOODPECKER. 61 



eastern slopes of" the Rocky Mountains than on the western and through the 

 Great Basin regions. It un(h)uV)tedly is also found in the Rocky Mountain 

 regions of soiithern British Columbia and the Province of Alberta. Its gen- 

 eral habits, food, etc., resemble those of the two preceding subspecies in every 

 way. The eg'gs are also similar. 



The average measurement of eleven specimens is 19.05 by 15.24 millimetres, 

 or 0.75 by 0.60 inch. The largest e^^ measures 19.81 by 15.24 millimetres, or 

 0.78 by O.GO inch; the smallest, 17.53 by 14.99 millimetres, or 0.69 by 0.59 inch. 



The type specimen. No. 21945 (not tigured), from a set of four eggs, was 

 taken by Dr. James C. Merrill, United States Army, near Fort Shaw, Montana, 

 on June 12, 1879. 



24. Dryobates borealis (Vieillot). 



KED-COCKADEI) WOODPECKEE. 



riciis borealis Vieillot, (Jiseaux Aincrique Septeutrionixle, II, 1807, GG. 

 Bryobatcn borealis Eidgway, Proceedings U. S. Natioual Museum, VIII, 1885, 355. 



(B 80, C 296, II 362, C 433, U 395.) 



(lEOGRAPHicAL EANGE: Southeastern United States; nortli to North Carolina, 

 Tennessee, Arkansas, and the Indian Territory; west to eastern Texas. Casually to New- 

 Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Keiituclcy. 



The Red-cockaded Wo()d})ecker, a common resident of our South Atlantic, 

 and Grulf States, is particularly abundant in the pine forests of South Carolina, 

 Georgia, and Florida. In the northern half of North Carolina it is rather rare, 

 but it probably breeds in the vicinity of Raleigii, as Mr. H. H. Brimley shot a 

 female there in pine woods on April 22, 1891. There are also several specimens 

 in the United States National iluseum collection from Roane CountA', Tennessee; 

 it has likewise been reported from Newport, in northeastern Arkansas, and from 

 the Indian Ten'itory; these points probably mark the northern limits of its 

 breeding range. Mr. Henry Nehrling found it not uncommon in the flat, sandv 

 pine woods in southeastern Texas, which marks the western limits of its known 

 range. 



The majority of observers state that it is strictly a l)ird of the pines, and 

 that it breeds only in trees of that kind, while Mr. Nelu-ling says that it usually 

 excavates its nesting sites in deciduous trees, and Mr. E. A. Mcllhenny writes 

 me that in southern Louisiana it generalljf nests in willow and china trees. 

 The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is reported to be one of the noisiest members 

 of this fauiily, but at the same time more sociable in disj)osition than other 

 species. Its call notes are said to be uttered in a rather petulant manner, and 

 Alexander Wilson com})ares them to tlie cpierulous cries of young birds. Its 

 food, like that of all oin* Woodpeckcn-s, consists mainly of small insects and their 

 larvai, cocoons, and spiders, and, in svunmer, to some extent <^)f berries and fridts. 

 Mr. E. A. Mcllhenny writes that in southern Louisiana the fig crop ripens 

 during their breeding- season, and that tlie }oung are fed to a considerable 



