PICID.E — THE WOODPECKKIiS. 



563 



Territory and in New Mexico; while Dr. Cooj^er, in his Kejmrt on the 

 zo^ilo^'V of Wasliinj^'ton Territory, speaks of it as lieinij connnon, (hirini; 

 summer, in all the interior, districts, hut seldom or never a})proacliin,Lr the 

 coast. It arrives at Pu<^et Sound early in May, and some even remain, (hir- 

 ing mild winters, in the Territory. According to his account, it hurrows 

 holes for its nests at all heights from the ground, hut commonly in dead 

 trees. The eggs are descrihed as ])ure white, and, when fresh, tmnslucent, 

 like those of all the Woodj)ecker trihe, and hardly distinguishahle in size 

 and general appearance from those of the (Jolden-winged Wood^jecker 

 {Culdptes anratus). Its harsh call is rarely uttered in summer, when it 

 seems to seek conce»^h»ient for itself and nest. The Hocks i>f young, wliich 

 in fall associate together to the numl>er of eiglit or ten, are more noisy. Dr. 

 Suckley, in the same Iiej>ort ())age l<>:i), speaks of this W(K)dpecker as heing 

 very ahundant throughout the more open portions of the timbered region of 

 the northwest coast, preferring oak openings and groves. At Fort 1 )alles, on 

 the Columhia, they are extremely numerous, not only hreeding there during 

 summer, hut also found as winter residents. Their hreeding-places are gen- 

 erally holes in oak and other trees, which, from the appearance of all he 

 examined, seemed to have been excavated for- the purpose. At Puget Sound 

 this species was found less frequently than at Fort Dalles, on the Columbia. 

 At the latter ]ilace they were constant winter residents. Dr. Suckley also 

 speaks of tiiem as being semi-gregarious in their habits. 



Mr. Lord thinks that this AVoodi)ecker is not to be met with west of the 

 Cascade ^Fountains, but says it is very often found Ixitween the Cascades and 

 the liocky ^lountains, where it frequents the open timber. The habits and 

 modes of flight of this bird, he states, are not the least like a Woodi)ecker's. 

 It flies with a heavy flai)ping motion, nuich like a Jay, feeds a good deal on 

 the ground, and chases insects on the wing like a Slirike or a Kingbird. 

 Whilst mating they assemble in large numbers, and keep up a continual, 

 loud, chattering noise. They arrive at Colville in A])ril, begin nesting in 

 May, and leave again in October. Tlie nest is in a hole in a dead pine-tree, 

 usually at a consideral)le height from the ground. 



Dr. Coues says this bird is very common at Fort Whii)j)le, in Arizonii, 

 where it remained in moult until Xovember. 



Mr. J. A. Allen found this the most numerous of the Pic idee in Colo- 

 rado Territory. He also states that it ditlers considerably in its habits from 

 all the other Woodpeckers. He frequently noticed it rising high into the 

 air almost vertically, and to a great height, ap})arently in pursuit of insects, 

 and descending again as abruptly, to repeat tlie same mameuvre. It was 

 met with by Mr. llidgway in the Sacramento Valley, along the eastern base 

 of the Sierra Nevada, and in the East Humboldt Mountains. In the first- 

 mentioned locality it was the most abundant Woodpecker, and inhabited the 

 scattered oaks of the r>lains. In the second region it was verv abundant — 

 perliaps more so than any other species — among the scatterti pines along 



