226 CENTURUS CAROL1NUS. 



The Yellow-bellied Woodpeckers reach their summer homes about the first of May, 

 deposit their eggs, as shown above, about the second week in June, the young make their 

 appearance in August, and accompany their parents for some time. They all leave for the 

 south by the first of November, migrating quite leisurely. These Woodpeckers are ex- 

 tremely abundant in the cypress and other swamps which border the rivers of Florida but 

 are occasionally found in the piney woods. They keep well up in the tops of the tall trees 

 but their peculiar notes always betray their presence as they are seldom quiet, constantly 

 calling to one another for they appear to be fond of company and it is not usual to find one 

 unaccompanied by either some of its own species or by other members of the family; thus 

 flocks of Woodpeckers are not uncommon in this section. 



As we might naturally expect from the peculiar structure of their tongues, the food 

 of these Woodpeckers differs considerably from that of those species, the lingual organs of 

 which are provided with barbs. The Yellow-bellied Woodpeckers being unable to readily 

 extract the larvae of the boring beetles from the holes in which they lurk, eat largely of 

 other insects and are, in fact, quite expert flycatchers, taking their food on the wing very 

 easily. They are also fond of small fruits and I have even taken dried barberries from their 

 stomachs. Of all the small Woodpeckers which are called Sap-suckers, these are the most 

 deserving of the name for they will not only drink the juices of trees but will also eat the 

 inner bark; in short, in the autumn it is exceedingly difficult to find one which has not been 

 indulging in this practice. They drill small holes in the forest, as well as the fruit, trees 

 in order to obtain their favorite food but as these orifices are very small, I do not see that 

 they are especially injurious to the trees and, even if this were the case, the slight dam- 

 age which these birds occasion is more than counterbalanced by the good which they do 

 in destroying multitudes of pernicious insects and therefore, we may safely consider the 

 Yellow-bellied Woodpeckers as useful birds. 



GENUS I. CENTURUS. THE RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS. 



GEN. CH. Sternum, narrow, not as wide as the height of the keel. Marginal indentations, deep, all being equal in depth 

 to the height of the keel. Manubrium, not very large. Terminal hook of scapula, any led on the upper and lower sides. 

 Tongue, provided with extensible sheath, and the cerato-hyals arc elongated, extending around the back of the skull as far, at 

 least, as the orbit of the eye. Proventriculus , not enlarged. Salivary glands , quite well developed. Upper mandible, slight- 

 ly curved. 



Members of this genus are marked on the top of the head with scarlet and transversely banded above. The tail feath- 

 ers arc quite acuminate. The hind toe is not half the length of the outer which is projected backward. There is but one 

 species within our limits. 



CENTURUS CAROLINUS. 

 Red-bellied Woodpecker. 



Centurus Carolinus BON, List; 1838. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. Cn. Form, robust. Size, medium. Sternum, not very stout. Tongue, long, narrow, not very thin and horny at 

 the tip which is pointed and provided with barbs for three fourths of the terminal portion. The extensible sheath occupies 

 about one half the length of the tongue. 



COLOR. Adult male. Above, including the wings and tail, lustrous-black with the feathers of the back, wings, and 

 rump crossed by bands of white, excepting terminal third of the primaries which are tipped with the same color. Upper tail 



