riClD.E — THE WOODPECKERS. 507 



quent. They may also be seen clin«^'in^ to the stalks of the su«j;ar-cane, l)or- 

 iiig them, and evidently enjoying the sweet juices (»f tliat jdant. 



Their flight is short and rapid, resemlding that of other allied species. 

 They are not social, never more tlian the members of one family being s(^en 

 together. They feed chiefly on insects and their larvae often seizing the 

 former on the wing. In the autunui they occasionally eat berries, seeds, 

 and small fruit. Their notes are sharp and loud, uttered in monosyllables, 

 at times with great frec^uency. 



An egg of this species, taken in lioxbury, Mass., is of a pure crystal white- 

 ness, oblong in shape, and e(|ually rounded at either end, measuring l.(H 

 inches in length by .72 of an inch in breadth. Another, from Georgia, is 

 more rounded at one end, and measures l.Uli inches iu length and .75 of an 

 inch in breadth. 



Picas villosus, var. hanisi, Aud. 



HASSIS'S WOODFECKEB. 



Picus harrisi, Am. Cm. Biog. V, 1839, 191, pi. ccccxvii. — Ib. Syn. 1839, 178. — 1b. 

 Birds America, IV, 1842, 242, jtl. odxi (^dark-bellieil varit'ty). — Nuttall, Man. I, 

 (2d. ed.,) 1840, 627. — Baiud, Birds N. Am. 1S58, 87. — Sindkvai.l, Mon. 17.— 

 Lord, Pr. K. Art. As.s. IV, 111 (nesting). — Coues, Pr. A. N. S. 1806, 52 (Oregon). 

 SuMiciiKA.sT, Mem, Bost. Soe. I, 1809, 562 (Alpine regions of Vera Cruz). — (Ikay, 

 Catal. 1868, 47. — Cabas. J. 1862, 175. — Cassin, P. A. X. S. 1863, 200. — Coopku 

 & Suck LEV, 1,59. — Cuopei:, Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 375. /Picks inornatus, Liciit. (Bon. 

 Consp.). Picus {Tridiupkus) hiirrisi, Bf. Consj). Zyg. Aten. Ital. 1854, 8. Dnjohatcs 

 harrisi. Cab. k Heix. Mus. Hein. IV, 2, 68 {Jurdini, 69.) Picus jardini, Malh. Kev. 

 Zool. Oct. 1845, 374 (Mexico). — Cab. Jour. 1862, 175. Picus hyloscopus, Cab. Sc 

 Hein'. Mus. Hein. IV, 2, 1863, 69 (white-bellied form). 



Sp. Char. Similar to typical viUosiis ; the innerinost of the greater wing-coverts and 

 of the secondary quills without any white spots externally ; varying from this to the 

 entire absence of exposed white on wing except on the outer web of longest primaries. 

 Belly varying from pure white to smoky or fulvous gray, white of tail-feathers very 

 rarely blotched with black. Average length, in north, 9.00 ; wing, 5.00 ; exposed part of 

 culmen, 1.15. 



Var. yarc?t«e much smaller. Length, 7.00 ; wing, 3.90 ; culmen, .85. 



Hab, Whole of Western United States, west of the ^lissouri plains, extending into 

 Mexico and Central America, where it passes into the smallest and darkest southern ex- 

 treme, known as P. jardini. Localities: West Arizona (Coces, P. A. N. S. 18GG, 52); 

 Vera Cruz, Alpine regions (Sumichrast, M. Bost. Soc. I, 1869, 5G2). 



In the preceding article we have given some general remarks on Harris's 

 Woodpecker, and shown why we cannot consider it a well-defined species. 

 If tlie specimens from the extreme west were constant in themselves, and the 

 variations, as with Colaptc:^ Jiyhridics, occurred along the line of contact with 

 villomSy we might refer to Hybrids many of the intermediate forms ; but as 

 scarcely any two are alike, even on the Pacific coast, such a view is inad- 

 missible. As, however, in the extreme limits of variation, there is yet a 



