THE WlllJ'E-HEADED WOODPECKER. 427 



and an opening made about an incli and a (juarler in diauieter. After 

 dri\'ing straight in an inch ur Iwn, the passage tnrns dnwn and widens two 

 or tliree diameters. At a (le])th i>\ a foot f)r so the crvsial white eggs are 

 deposited on a neat bed of tine chips. lncnl)atiiin hists twelve davs and the 

 young are Iiatclied about tlie :st n\ June. 



.Mr. Txiwies asserts that when a tree containing eggs is rapped the 

 sitting birtl will try, sometimes successfully, to deceive the intjuirer by C()ming 

 to the entrance and dropping out a mouthful nf chippings, thus con\eying 

 tlie impression that she is still building. It's a shame to give it away. 



No. 168. 



WHITE-HE.ADED WOODPECKER. 



.A. O. U. X'o. 399. Xenopicus albolar\atus iCass. ). 



Description. — Adult male: llody plumage and tail glossy black; wings dull 

 black with large blotch of white mi median portion of inner primaries and 

 secondaries, and some disconnected white spotting distally; throat and entire head 

 (not deeply) white: a scarlet i)atch on nape. Piill and feet slaty black; iris red. 

 Female: Exact!}- as male ■ti'/Z/jox/ scarlet nuchal band. Length: 9.oo-(;.50 (228.6- 

 241.3) ; wing 5.13 ( 130.8) : tail 3.50 (88.9). 



Recognition Maries. — Chewink to Roliin size: white head uni(|ue. 



Nesting. — Nest: A hole in live pine tree at moderate height. Eggs: yj. 

 usuall\- 4. pure wliite. .Av. size, .<>5 .x .71 (24.1 xi8). Season: June-July, accord- 

 ing to altitude; one brood. 



General Range. — Mountains of the I'acilic Coast States mirth int<i I'.ritish 

 Columbia, east to Idaho and LTtali. 



Range in Wasliington. — Resident in the mcmntains, chietly ea>t nf the Cas- 

 cade summit. 



Authorities. — I'ieiis alluilai:atHS, Baird, Rep. I'ac. R. R. Surv. IX. i8s8. p. 

 97. C\S. 1)'. I)-. J. 



Specimens. — I'niv. C. 



THERl-^ is a dray's ll.-irbnr record for this bird, but the occurrence 

 is uiii(|ue west of the Cascades. So far as om- experience goes, the W'hite- 

 liead is to be looked for only in the pine limber which' clothes the eastern 

 slopes of the Cascades and their outliers. The range of the sjjecies extends 

 casually northward into British Columbia, but the southern boundary 

 of Oregon is nearer its center of distribution, .and the birds decrease rajjidly 

 in numbers north of the I'eshastin Ixange in Washington. 



At first glance we would say that this bird eschews ])rolective coloration 

 altogether, but Mrs. Bailey argues that even black and white are not very 



