7, Auk 
I 74 General Notes. April 
thologists. In addition to the Roadrunner it is probable that many of the 
species now credited to the Phil. Mag. 1827, were first described here. 
Swainson’s ‘ Appendix’ ought to be as worthy of recognition as A. A. 
H. Lichtenstein’s ‘Catalogus Rerum’ (1793), or Leach’s ‘ Systematic 
Catalogue’ (1816), or H. Lichtenstein’s ‘ Preis-Verzeichniss’ (1830), and 
should a copy come to lightit is to be hoped that, like the works just men- 
tioned, it may be reprinted for the benefit of ornithologists. — CHARLES 
W. RicuMonD, Washington, D.C. 
The Red-headed and Other Woodpeckers in Michigan in Winter. — 
On reading the note in ‘The Auk’ for January, rgoo, page 67, entitled 
‘The Red-headed Woodpecker near Chicago, IIll.,’ by G. S. Mead, of 
San Francisco, Cal., 1 wish to say that the presence of the Red-headed 
Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) during the winter months in 
Michigan does not depend upon the temperature, but entirely upon the 
food supply, viz.: the crop of acorns and beechnuts which precedes the 
winter. If these nuts are plenty, the Red-headed Woodpecker will always 
be found during the winter months, but in no great abundance. If there 
are no acorns or beechnuts, this bird will be entirely absent in our Michi- 
gan forests. The Red-headed Woodpecker is therefore one of those pecu- 
liar birds whose migrations depend upon circumstances, viz. : the abun- 
dance of proper food; and this will be found characteristic of some of the 
rest of the family (Picidz), namely, the Red-bellied (A/elanerpes caro- 
linus) and the Golden-winged Woodpecker (Colapfes auratus), which are 
sometimes found with us during the whole year, and sometimes they are 
absent during the winter months. The only bird of this family which I 
have zo¢ observed during the winter months is the Yellow-bellied Wood- 
pecker (Sphyrapicus varius), which subsists almost entirely upon the sap 
and inner bark of trees, preferably the hard maples and the Austrian and 
Scotch Pines, which are usually found planted in lawns and parks. The 
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker makes his appearance in Michigan about the 
first of April when the sap is in full flow, and you will always find him on 
the park or lawn doing great damage among the Austrian and Scotch 
pines, in some cases entirely girdling and ruining the trees. This is the 
only member of this family that should zo¢ be protected by law.—JAMEsS 
B. Purpy, Plymouth, Wayne Co., Michigan. 
The Flicker Wintering in Montreal. — On January 14, 1900, while walk- 
ing with a friend along the woods at the foot of Mount Royal, I was 
surprised to see a Golden-winged Woodpecker (Colaftes auratus) fly 
from a tree within a few feet of us; it alighted on a sumac near by and 
began to feed on the seeds. We hada good view of it for a short time, 
until it flew into some low bushes and disappeared. 
We saw one near the top of Mount Royal on November 25, 1899, which 
was, perhaps, the same bird, this being an unusually late date for its 
occurrence. The winter here has been milder than usual, but I have 
