General Notes. ^^ 



28. Melanerpes erythrocephalus. — One bird observed. 



29. Colaptes niexicanus. ■ — ^ Common. The young of this species 

 doubtless hatching on June 28, as an old bird was seen carrying out and 

 dropping, a hundred or two yards from the nest, the fragment of an egg 

 shell at that time. 



30. Biiteo borealis. — -Hawks apparently of this species occasionally 

 observed. 



31. Bonasa umbellns umbelloides. — Not common. Is mostly found 

 in the cotton-wood timber of the valleys. 



32. Tetrao obscuriis richardsoui. — Not as common here as in some 

 other localities of the Belt Mountains. They prefer rough and rocky 

 ledges with only a moderate growth of fir to denser forests. Occasion- 

 ally one finds them outside of the mountains, but only among the scattered 

 clumps of fir growing on the high bluft's of some of the streams. Their 

 " tooting" is a low, muffled sort of cooing, uttered without vigor, or any 

 visible effort on the bird's part, which may be squatting on some rock at 

 the time. 



33. Tringoides maciilarius. — Found on the streams. — R. S. Wil- 

 LiAM.s, Be>/foii, W. T. 



Rem.\rks on Some Western Vermont Birds. — The Red-headed 

 Woodpecker {Melanerpes erythrocephaUis, Sw.), is a strangely erratic 

 species. Mr. C. S. Paine has taken but a single specimen in the eastern 

 part of the State, and five years ago it was a very rare species about here 

 (Brandon). Now they are nearly as abundant as the common Golden- 

 wings. At Orwell, only ten miles to the west, they outnumber the 

 Golden-wings, and appear to be on the increase. Dr. C. H. Merriam 

 mentions (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, Vol. Ill, No. 3, p. 124) their remain- 

 ing in Northern New York during some of the severest winters known. 

 I ha\e never observed them in this vicinity later than the 2d of October, 

 except in one instance (January 7, 1S79), when I took a single specimen. 

 At Rutland, sixteen miles south of Brandon, Mr. Jenness Richardson in- 

 forms me that they are a resident species, being as abundant in winter 

 as in summer. They were particularly abundant about here during 

 August and September, 1S79, being attracted, no doubt, by the great 

 abundance of black cherries {Prtn/iis serotina), which they appear to 

 relish greatly. I have frequently observed this species to employ the same 

 nest for several successive seasons. 



The Pileated Woodpecker {Hylotomtispileafus.Yid.), is by no means as rare 

 as might be expected in so thickly populated a section. Not a year passes 

 but that from one to five specimens are taken. I have notes of at least 

 fifteen specimens, taken during the last four or five years, all of which oc- 

 curred from the month of September to May, inclusive ; the last record 

 being the capture of two young females, September 28, 1881. Of the 

 remaining /'/c/f/^^, Spkyrapicus varius is a rather rare summer visitant; 

 Picoides arcticus, a very rare winter visitant: while Pi'ciis pubescens and 

 P. villosus are resident species, the former being by far the most abundant. 



