RARER BIRDS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 571 



different years as this. In my Catalogue it is mentioned as 

 "extremely rare" at Springfield, but as occurring frequently 

 in the eastern part of the state. Since then a number of 

 specimens have been taken at Springfield, and others at 

 Westfield, Chicopee and Holyoke. Dr. Wood says that it 

 "has been very uncommon at East Windsor Hill, except in 

 1867, when it was as common as the Black-billed. I ob- 

 tained," he adds, "three sets of eggs during that season ; 

 iiave seen none this year."* I think it was in 1867 that it 

 was so unusually common at the other above-mentioned 

 localities, but it was also taken at Springfield in 1866. Mr. 

 Scott says he does not think it "extremely rare," as he 

 has obtained four or five specimens without special effort. 

 In the eastern part of the state I find it is not gener- 

 ally so numerous as I had supposed. It seems to be common 

 here only at irregular intervals, when it sometimes appears 

 to be as numerous as the Black-billed species, but sometimes 

 it is scarcely observed for several seasons. Mr. Maynard 

 says it was common about Newton during 1866, when the 

 Black-billed was rare, but that it has not been so since that 

 year, while the latter has been abundant. If the very large 

 collections of birds from a considerable number of localities 

 in New England in the Museum of Comparative Zoology can 

 be taken as any index of their relative abundance in the 

 Eastern States^ the Black-billed species may be considered 

 as, on the average, a hundred fold more numerous than the 

 other. 



YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKER. Sphyrapicus varius 

 Baird. As observed by Dr. Coues,f this bird may be com- 

 mon in summer at many localities in New England. But in 

 this state, so far as I can learn, it is rare at all seasons in 

 that portion east of the Connecticut, and generally seen only 

 in the fall. Not so, however, to the westward and north- 

 ward ; but I doubt its being any more numerous in Rhode 



* In epist, Oct. 22, 18G8. 



t In List of the Birds of Now England, 1. c., p. 262. 



