NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 209 



of five eggs are given as 1. 00X.71, .94X.69, .99X.69, i.oox.71, i.oox.75, 

 respectively. 



Mr. Norris has a set of four eggs taken from a hole in the bank of 

 a river in Comal county, Texas, May 25, 1878. These are dull white, 

 and measure .92 x .73, .96 x .72, .92 x .71, and .95 x .70. 



392. CampepMlus principalis (Linn.) [359.] 



Ivory-billed 'Woodpecker. 



Hab. Formerly Southern Atlantic and Gulf States and Lower Mississippi Valley, north to North Car- 

 olina, Eastern Missouri, Southern Illinois and Indiana. Now restricted and only locally distributed in the 

 Gulf States and Lower Mississippi Valley. 



The largest of our North American Woodpeckers — in fact it is the 

 prince of Woodpeckers. Its length ranges from nineteen to twenty- 

 one inches. * The adult male has a long pointed crest of scarlet, the 

 entire crown (with its elongated feathers) is black; the bill ivory- 

 yellow or whitish. This bird is now rare, and is apparently restricted 

 to the extreme Southern States, especially those bordering the Gulf of 

 Mexico. It is of a wild and wary disposition, making its home in the 

 dark, swampy woodlands. The dense cypress swamps of Florida are 

 at present one of its favorite haunts. 



A set of three eggs of this species is in the cabinet of Captain B. 

 F. Goss. They were taken in Southern Texas in May, 1885, from a 

 hole in a tree about forty feet from the ground ; the cavity was exca- 

 vated to the depth of nearly two feet, and was large enough to allow 

 the collector to insert his arm and take out the eggs. These are pyri- 

 form in shape, and have the usual gloss of woodpeckers' eggs, and 

 measure, respectively, 1.44x1.06, 1.45x1.06, 1.44x1.07. 



Mr. W. E. D. Scott found a nest of this species in Hillsboro county, 

 Florida, March 17, 1887, containing a young bird, one-third grown. 

 The nest cavity was dug in a large cypress tree in the midst of a dense 

 swamp, and was forty-one feet from the ground ; the depth of the cav- 

 ity was fourteen inches. Mr. Scott was told by old residents the bird 

 was once very common in that region, but is now comparatively rare 

 and shy. The day the nest was found eleven of the birds were counted 

 in the swamp, sometimes four or five were in sight at once.f 



393. Dryobates villosus (Linn.) [360.] 



Hairy Woodpecker. 



Eastern United States, except South Atlantic and Gulf States. 



A ragged-looking black and white species, known as the large 

 " Sapsucker," and one of the most noisy in the woods during thebreed- 



* The Imperial Woodpecker, C. imperials ( Gould,) measures twenty-three or twenty-four inches 

 jn length. This bird is found in Western Mexico, north along the Sierre Madre, and probably has not 

 yet been observed or taken within our limits, but is likely to occur at any time within the United States 

 boundary. 



tAuk, V, p. 186. 



15 



