1 U ( LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



The peculiar drumming sound which these Woodpeckers 

 produce, is often undertaken for no other purpose than that 

 of entertainment, or with the view of pleasing- their mates. 

 Mr. Paine, as cited by Dr. Brewer, gives apparently an ex- 

 emplification of this fact. On several occasions, while en- 

 gaged in the process of preparing maple sugar, lie purpose- 

 ly left several wooden buckets suspending from the tree- 

 branches, until they should again be required. These were 

 taken possession of and used for this very purpose. At 

 times, the tin pails were experimented upon, but not affording 

 suitable standing-ground, were eventually abandoned. 



Specimens of eggs from Vermont are described by Dr. 

 Brewer as being of an oval shape, and slightly more round- 

 ed at one extremity than the other. They measure .95 of 

 an inch in length and .70 in width. Audubon describes the 

 eggs of these Woodpeckers as having a pure white ground- 

 color which is tinged with a light blush. 



Centrums carolinus, 



The Red-bellied Woodpecker extends throughout North 

 America, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky Mountains, 

 being, however, more common in the more southern and 

 western portions. It very rarely occurs north of Pennsvl- 

 vania on the Atlantic coast, and in Eastern Massachusetts, 

 it has never been met with by Dr. Brewer, although record- 

 ed as breeding from Maryland to Nova Scotia by Mr. Audu- 

 bon. Wilson gives it as an abundant species of Upper Can- 

 ada and of the northern counties of New York, and also as 

 being a denizen of the Atlantic States as far as the south- 

 ern extremity of Florida. In Eastern Massachusetts, Mr. 

 Nuttall noticed its absence. In Vermont, it is un mentioned 

 by Thompson and Paine ; in Nova Scotia by Lieut. Bland ; 

 and by Richardson in his Fauna Boreal i- Americana. In 

 the Indian Territory and in Texas, Dr. Woodhouse discov- 

 ered it to be a not uncommon bird. 



In Eastern Pennsylvania, a few individuals have been ob- 



