P1LEATED WOODPECKER. 235 



COLOR. Ar/u/t mala. General color throushout, sooty-black with the throat, line extendingfrom nostril, down the sides 

 of neck, to the side of upper breast, line hack of eye, extreme tips of primaries, basal half of primaries, excepting outer 

 webs of outer two, basal half of secondaries, and narrow tippings to feathers of sides, white. Top of head, including occi- 

 put, crest, and maxillury patches, scarlet. 



Ailultf'inalr. Similar to tlie male, but lacks the scarlet maxillary patch which is replaced by black, and the anterior 

 portion of the head is sooty-brown with the feathers tipped with yellowish. 



Yauntf. Differs from the adult in having more white edging to the feathers below while a sulphury tinge pervades the 

 broad white markings ,,(' the head and is especially noticeable beneath the wing, but there are few, or no, white tippings to 

 the primaries. Iris, yellow, bill, black, bluish at base of lower mandible, and feet, greenish-brown, in all .stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



This Woodpecker is readily distinguished from all others, excepting the Ivory-billed, by its superior size, and from this 

 latter named species by the almost uniform color above as well as by the black hill. Specimens vary but little; occasionally 

 n female will have scarlet feathers dotting the darker patch of the anterior portion of the head and the amount of white 



cially the tippings of the wings, is not always the same. Specimens, from Florida are much smaller than those from 

 Maine but are only slightly darker in shade. Distributed asaconstant resident, throughout North America but are found 

 only in the heavily wooded districts. 



DDIENSIONS. 



Average measurements of seven specimens from the North. Length, 18-25; stretch, 28-50; wing, 9'00; tail, 6-75; bill, 

 2-35; tar-us. 1-30. Longest specimen, 18-75; greatest extentofwing, 2!)-(K; longest wing,9'50; tail,7'00; bill, 2'50; tarsus, 

 I'ifi- S -,i;vim MI, 17-.">:>; smallest extent of wing, 23'00; shortest wing, 8-50; tail, 6-50; bill, 2-25: tarsus, 1-20. 



A\erage measurements of sixteen specimens from Florida. Length, 16-3-2; stretch, 2(i-50; wing, 8-50; tail, G'02; bill, 

 1-75: Ursus, !:$;). L >ng.-st sj.ee.imen, 17'50; greatest extent of wing, 23-00; longest wing, 'J'OO: tail, 6-75; bill, 2-10; tar- 

 sus. 1-50. Shortest specimen, 15-15; smallest extent of wing, 25-00; shortest wing, 8'00; tail, 5-30; bill, 140; tarsus, T10. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



.V.S-/5, placed in cylinder-shaped holes, generally excavated in dead trees. Dimensions, diameter of external orifice, 

 3-00. greatest internal, (i'OO. Internal depth, 20'00. 



Eyys, four to six in number, elliptical in form, pure, polished pearly-white in color. Dimensions from -90x 1-05 to 

 95x1-10. 



HABITS. 



No one who has studied the habits of birds, Will hesitate to say that Woodpeckers, as 

 well as carpenters, may be known by their chips. When we see small bits of wood lying 

 about the base of a tree, we are sure that some of the smaller species have been at work; 

 larger pieces indicate that the labor has been performed by the Golden-wing, but when we 

 meet with a tree trunk denuded throughout its entire extent and the bark lying in piles 

 at its roots, often ih blocks six inches square, it becomes obvious that such a task could 

 have been accomplished by no other than the Great Pileatcd Woodpecker. The sound of 

 his hammer and chisel is also remarkable, for none among the Woodpeckers, save the Ivory- 

 bill, can strike such resounding blows, each of which produces a marked effect. All this 

 labor is performed for the sake of finding insects, for the Pileated is the most indefatigable 

 of all the family in hunting this kind of prey. They are also very fond of ants and I have 

 frequently found them, both in Pennsylvania and further south, at work on prostrate trees 

 which were inhabited by these insects. They will oat fruit and are partial to the berries 

 of the palmetto, feeding, in Florida, upon little else when these arc in season. 



In general habits, this large Woodpecker does not differ especially from the Golden- 

 wing. The notes are not strickingly unlike, those of the Pileated being, of course, louder 

 and they end more abruptly. Both have the same, energetic way of throwing the head 

 back when at work, in order to glance quickly around, and the flight of both is similar; 



