I'lCID.K- THK WooDl'KCKKKS. 



553 



mon, ami Mr. Orosser found several nests in huire eottonwoojl-treos, Imt luul 

 no means of p'tting to tlieiii. 



Mr. J. K. Lord assiijns to this speeies a wide western ran<,'e, beinj,' enmnion 

 botli east and west of tlie ( 'ascades, and on the west slojKiof tlie IJoeky 

 M<juntains. He met with it nortli as far as Fort |{'.ii)ert in \'ancouver 

 Island, and south through (Jregon and ( alifornia. He found theniatCol- 

 ville durini,' tlie winter. He states tiiat they nest in May, generally in a 

 tall dead pine-tree, at a great height. 



For my first specimens of tlie eggs of this speeies I am under oldigations 

 to ])r. Cornelius Kollock, of Cheraw, S. V. Thev werti obtained l>v liim 

 from excavations made in larcfe trees at the height of ahout twentv-tive feet 

 from the ground, and in localities at no great distance from tlie inhahited 

 parts of the country. 



The eggs of this species from South Carolina and Fh)rid{i are of a very 

 brilliant crystalline whiteness, of a rounded-oval shape, and measure 1.2 "> 

 inches in length by 1.02 in breadth. Northern specimens are probably 



larger. 



Section CENTURE>E. 



The United States genera of this seciion are very similar to each other, 

 and may be most easily distinguished by color, as follows : — 



Centurns. Back and winirs banded transversely with Mack and white. Crown more 

 or less red; rest of head witli under parts jrrayish, and with red or yellow tinge on the 

 middle of the abdomen. Rnnip white. 



Melanerpes. T'pi)er parts uniform black, without bands, with or without a white 

 rump ; variable beneath, but without transverse bands. 



Genus CENTURUS, Swainson. 



Centitrus, Sw. Class. Birds, II, 1837, 3lU. ^Type, C. caroIvv(.<t.) 

 Zchrapicus, Malii. Mem. Acad. Metz, 1841), 360. {Type, C. caroUnus.) 



Gen*. Char. Bill about the lenfifth of the head, or a little loniier: decidedly compressc<l. 

 except at the extreme base. A lateral ridije startiufj a little lielow the culmcn at tlie l»ase 

 of the bill, and an^irular for half tlie lenirth of the bill, then becoming obsolete, thouirh 

 traceable nearly to the tip. Culmen considerably curved from the base ; pfonys nearly 

 straijrht. Nostrils very broad, elliptical : situated about midway on the side of the man- 

 dible, near the base ; partly concealed. Outer pairs of toes unequal, the anterior toe 

 lonprest, Winfrs long, broad ; third to fifth primaries ecpial and lonprest. Tail-feathers 

 rather narrow, stiffened. 



The species are all banded above transversely with black anrl white ; the 

 rump white. The head and under ]^arts are brown, or grayish, the latter 

 sometimes much the lighter. The bellv with a red or yellow tinge. The 

 under tail-coverts with V-shaped dark marks. The Xorth American species 

 of Centurvs may be arranged as follows : — 



VOL. H. 70 



