124 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



little, as they appear to lay quite as early in the northern parts of their range as 

 in the more southern. Full sets of fresh eggs may he looked for the last week in 

 April and during the first half of May. Grenerally only one brood is raised in a 

 season. Both parents are devoted to their eggs and young, and will frequently 

 allow themselves to be captured rather than forsake their treasures. The eggs 

 are white, mostly ovate in shape ; the shell is fine grained and rather dull looking, 

 with little or no gloss, resembling in this respect the eggs of Lewis's Woodpecker 

 more than those of the Red-headed species. 



The average measurement of twenty-four specimens in the United States 

 National Museum collection (the majority of these coming from Florida) is 25.15 

 by 18.54 milhmetres, or 0.99 by 0.73 inch. The largest egg measures 26.67 by 

 19.30 millimetres, or 1.05 by 0.76 inches; the smallest, 23.11 by 16.76 milh- 

 metres, or 0.91 by 0.66 inch. 



The type specimen, No. 24727 (not figured), Ralph collection, from a set 

 of four egg% was taken by Dr. William L. Ralph, near Sau Mateo, Florida, on 

 May 18, 1885. 



44. Melanerpes aurifrons (Wagler). 



aOLDEN-FRONTED WOODPECKER. 



Picus aurifrons Wagler, Isis, 1S29, 512. 



Melanerpes aurifrons RiDGWAY, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, VIII, 1885, 355. 



(B 92, C 307, R 373, C 451, U 410.) 



Geographical range: Eastern Mexico; south to tlie City of Mexico; west to 

 Jalisco; north into the southern portions of central Texas to about latitude 35° 10' (Young 

 County). Apparently not found in western Texas west of longitude 101°. 



The breeding range of the Golden or Yellow-fronted Woodpecker is 

 coextensive with its geographical distribution in the United States, and it is 

 probably a constant resident wherever found. The northern limits of its range 

 liave been considerably extended during the past few years, the most northern 

 point where it has been found, as far as known at present, being Belknap, Young 

 County, Texas, where Mr. G. Ragsdale observed this species in the fall of 1878, 

 and I would not be surprised to find it still farther extended into the extreme 

 southwestern parts of the Indian Territory and Oklahoma. While it appears 

 to be pretty generally distrilnited throughout southern Texas, it is less abundant 

 in the central districts of the State, and throughout the more western parts it 

 appears not to be found at all. In some of the eastern portions of its range in 

 Texas it overlaps that of the preceding species, and its general habits are very 

 similar to those of the former. It is equally at home in the more or less stunted 

 mesquite, huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and post-oak thickets of the drier plains, 

 as in the heavier and more luxuriant forests of the river bottoms. 



Mr. D. B. Burrows has kindly furnished me with the following notes on 

 the habits of this species, as observed by him near Roma, Starr County, Texas, 



