iMciD.K - Tiir: \V(H>i)rK('Ki:K.s. 581 



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([UoUmI by Mr. AiululMm, states tli.it In* first caiiu' uinui tliis bird in tin* nur- 

 rrw belt of I'uri'st wliiili ItoriU'rs l^jiraiiiit's h»rk of tlie Tlatto, aii«l ailds 

 'Jiat lie scarcL'ly lost si-^lit of it I'roia that tiiiu* until Iw ri-ailu'tl thu slion-s 

 tf the I'acitii'. Its manners, in all respects, are so I'ntirely similar to thoso 

 o- the common species that the same ilescrij»tion ap]»lies to hoth. He also 

 re«*ar(ls it as the shyer l»inl of the two, anil less fre«iuently seen on the 

 ground. They hurrow in the oak and pine trt-es, and lay white eg^'s, alter 

 the manner of the whole family, and tht'se eggs an; in no wise distinguish- 

 able from those of the (Jolden-wing. 



Dr. Cooper, in his Report uiH»n the birds of California, refers to this as a 

 common species, and found in every j»art ol the State e.xcept the bare plains. 

 It even tVetiuents the U»w bushes, where 'o trees are to be .seen f(»r miles. 

 In the middle wooded di.stricts, and towards the north, it is much more 

 abundant than elsewhere. 



Tlieiv nesting-holes are at all heights from the ground, iind are usually 

 al)Out one foot in depth. In the southern part of the State their eggs arc 

 laid in April, but farther north, at the Columbia, in May. 



Dr. Cooper attributes their shvuess in certain localities to their beiii" 

 hunted so nmch by the Indians for their bright feathers. (Jenerally he 

 found them ([uite tame, so that their interesting hai>its may )>e watched 

 witlumt diihculty. He regards tiiem as an exact counterj)art of the eastern 

 auratu^, living largely on insects and ants, which they collect without much 

 trouble, and do not depend uj)on hard work, like other Woodj>eckers, for their 

 food. During the .«ea.sou they also feed largely on lu'rries. Their curve«l 

 bill is not well adapted for hammering sound W(»od for insects, and they only 

 dig into decayed trees in search of their food. Like the eastern species, the 

 young of these birds, when their nest is a]>])roached, make a curious hissing 

 iioi.se. They may be seen chasing each other round the trunk of trees, as 

 if in sport, uttering, at the same time, loud cries like ir]iitt<M>, ir/iiffao, tr/n'/foo. 

 Dr. Kennerly found these birds from the liig Sandy to the (Jreat Colorado, 

 but they were so shy that he could not obtain a sjiecimeii. They were seen 

 01. the barren hills among the large cacti, in which they iie.st. Their extreme 

 shyness was fuUv ex]>lained afterwards bv finding how closelv thev are 

 hunted by the Indians for the sake of their feathers, of which head-dresses 

 are made. 



Mr. Dre.s.ser states that this bird is found as far east as San Antonio, where, 

 however, it is of uncommon occurrence. In DecemlnM" he noticed seveml 

 near the Xueces River, and in February and March obtained others near 

 Piedras Xegras. 



Dr. Coues gives it as abundant and resident in Arizona, where it is found 

 in all situations. Its tongue, he states, is capable of protrusion to an extent 

 far beyond that of any other North American Woodpecker. 



This bird, in some paiis of California, is known as the Yellow-IIaminer, a 

 name given in some parts of New England to the Culaptcsaumtas. Mr. 



^spi ' 



