(\ II. McrriiDit — ll'ifih of i'oiniccllriit. 05 



all, ill any miniln'rs, lliis is truly, tlioui^li not slricl ly, a inl'j.iaiil.* 

 Dr. Will. (), Ayros writes mo: " At New Canaan, ("nun., I used to 

 find tlu'in oacli ant umn, tliouL;,li never very nunieidiis ; I nevei- saw 

 them in tlie spring. 



141. Centurus Carolinus (Linne) Swainson. Rod-r)ollied Woodpoc-ker. 



A rare accidental visitor from tlie South. Linsley saw one "an- 

 cending an apple tree, on tlie 16th of October, 1842."f Dr. C'rary 

 says he lias killed it near Hartford, Conn. ; and Mr. Erwiii I. Shores 

 writes me that he "took a female, July .'{0th, 1874," at Suflield, Conn. 

 Giraud gave it as breeding regularly on Long Island, though not 

 very common. J 



142. Melanerpes erythrocephalus (Limu-) Swainson. Ued-iieadcd 



Woodpecker. 



K rare summer resident ; breeds at Saybrook, sometinu's remaining 

 all winter.§ Linsley gave it from Stratford, and Dr. .1. D. AVhelpley 

 informed him that it was " rare at New IIaven"f tliirty-tive years 

 ago, and, so far as I am aware, its numbers have not increased since. 

 In fact, as Dr. Cones has remarked : " C^omparisons of the older with 

 more recent local authorities indicate that the sjx'cies is now inuch 

 less numerous than formei-ly."| Dr. P\ W. Hall took one at West 

 Haven in December, 1872, and has seen several other s})cciinens in 

 this vicinity. W. W. Coe and J. H. Sage have eacli taken it al)out 

 Portland, Conn., but find it rarely. Dr. Wood, of East Windsor 

 Hill, tells me that they were really abundant, in tliat vicinity, thirty- 

 five years ago, being more numerous than the Flicker ( Colaptes 

 auratus). Four years later a large flock was seen, and since tlien 

 they have been one of our rare birds. A few, however, still breed 

 pretty regularly in the vicinity of East Windsor, Conn. IMr. .1. N. 

 Clark informs me that, during the latter pait of Septeml)er, 1872, 

 they suddenly became abundant in a grove of oaks near Saybrook, 

 Conn. The adult birds Avere mostly killed off" by boys from the 

 neighborhood, while the young-of-the-year, lacking the brilliant and 



*For a valuable contribution to tlie tjiography of tliis beautiful Woodpecker, sec 

 an article by William Brewster, in Bull. Nutt. Oruitb. ("lub, vol. i, No. I!, pp. <;:?-70. 

 Sept., 1876. 



f Am. Jour. Sci. and Arts, vol. xliv, No. 2, p. 2fi:{. April, 1S4;?. 



X Birds of Long Island, p. 179. 1844. 



§ Am. Nat., vol. vii, No. 11, p. 09:'.. Nov., 187:!. 



II A List of the Birds of New England. [From Proc. Essex Inst., vol. v, p. 1 5. | i S(58. 



Trans. Conn. Ac.\d., Vol. IV. 9 .Ti'i.v, IS77. 



