16 



pies of the former, and the Cliff Swallow, (Hirundo 

 fulva : ) of the latter. Forty years ago, as I well remem- 

 ber, the red-headed Woodpecker was one of the most 

 common birds in our forests ; but it is now so rare 

 that, while I have travelled extensively over the State, 

 I have hardly seen half a dozen in the last 20 years. 

 On the other hand, I cannot learn that a Cliff Swallow 

 was ever seen in Vermont till about the year 1817 ; 

 but they now swarm in hundreds, about the eaves of 

 barns in various parts of the State. 



While the species of the two higher classes of the 

 vertebrata of Vermont are, generally, the same as in 

 the other New England States, the case is quite differ- 

 ent with regard to the reptiles and fishes ; so much so, 

 that, in reference to these, the Western part of Ver- 

 mont clearly belongs to a different zoological district 

 from the eastern, and from the other parts of New 

 England. The dividing line between these districts is 

 along the summits of the Green Mountain range, which 

 separate the waters falling into Connecticut river from 

 those which are tributary to the St. Lawrence. The 

 reptiles and fishes found in Vermont to the eastward of 

 this line, are such as are common in other parts of 

 New England, while those found to the westward of 

 it, are generally different, corresponding, for the most 

 part, with the fauna of Western New York. Of the 

 reptiles found in the western part of Vermont, which 

 are not, so far as I am informed, found to the eastward 

 of the Green Mountains, may be mentioned the Emys 

 geographica, the Trionyx ferox, the Rana horiconcnses 

 and the Menobranchus maculatus. Our Eibbon SnakCj 

 if identical, as it probably is, with the Coluber Sauriter 

 of the eastern part of New England, often far exceeds 



