.-)76 NUKTll A.MEUIL'AX UlJiDS. 



aliilDincn. each fcallicr wiili a hcait-sliaiicil siiof of lilack near the end. Rum]) white 

 LLMifrili, 12.ri(): win;:-. i;.(M(. 



IIaii. All ol' CiisliTii Xortli Anicrica ti> lliu oastorn slopi's of Ilocky .Monnlaiiis ; 

 fartlici' nnrlli, cxtciKliiii:: across aloiif,' llio YiiUoii as far at least as Xiilalo, iierlia|is to 

 the Paeilie. (ii-eeiiiaml (Ukimiakiit). Localities: San Aatouio, Texas, only one i<|ieeiineii 

 (DuiissKii, II lis, iSU.'j, 17(1). 



Specimens vary coiisidevaMy in size niid ytroportions ; the more uortlioni 

 ones are much tlio liirger. Tlie sjMjt.s vary in numl)er and in size ; tliey 

 may 1)e circular, or transversely or longitiulinally oval. Western si)eciniens 

 iilipear ])aler. In a Selkirk Settlement specimen the belly is tinged with 

 pale suliihur-yellow, the hack with olivaceous-green. 



Tliis species, in general ]>attern of coloration, resembles the C. iiiriianiiiji, 

 although the colors are very diil'erent. Tims the shafts of the (piills, with 

 their under surfaces, are ganibogc-yellow, instead of orange-red. Tiiere is a 

 conspicuous imclial crescent of crimson wanting, or but .sligiitly indicated, in 

 mexicnHH>i. The idicek-patch is pure black, widening and aliruptly truncate 

 behind, instead of liright crimson, pointed or rotindcd liehind. The shade 

 of the upi)er parts is olivaceous-green, instead of purplish-lmiwn. The top 

 of the head and the ua])eai'e more ashy. The chin, throat, neck, and sides of 

 the liead, are pale purplisli or lilac brown,, instead of l)luish-ash ; the space 

 aliove, below, and around the eye of tlie same color, insteail of having 

 reddish-brown above and ashy below. 



Tiie young of this species is sutticiently like the adult to be readih' recog- 

 nizable. Sometimes the entire crown is faintly tipped with red, as charac- 

 teristic i)f young Woo(li)eckers. 



II.viUTs. The (iohlen-winged Woodpecker is altogether the most com- 

 mon and tlie most widely distributed of the Xorth Americjan representa- 

 tives of tlie genus. Acctirding to Sir John llichardson, it visits the i'ur 

 c(mntri('s in the summer, extending its migrations as far to the north as the 

 Great Slave Lake, and resorting in great nund)ers to the jilains of the Sas- 

 katchewan. It was found by Dr. Woodhon.se very almndant in Texas and 

 the Indian Territory, and it is given by Iteinhardt as occurring in (trecnland. 

 j\Ir. McFarlane found it breeding at Fort Aiulerson ; Mr. Iioss at Fort liae. 

 Fort licsfdution, and Fort Sinijison ; and Mr. Kennicf)tt at Fort Yukon. All 

 this testimony demonstrates a distriluition throughout the entire eastern 

 portion of Xorth America, from the Gulf of Mexico almost to the Arctic 

 Ocean, and from the Atlantic to the I\oeky Mountains. 



In the more ncn-tliern portions of the continent this bird is only a sum- 

 mer visitant, but in the Southern and ^liddle, and to some extent in the 

 New England States, it is a piirmanent resident. Wilson speaks of seeing 

 them exposed for sale in the markets of I'hihideljdiia during each month of 

 a very rigorous Avinter. Wilson's observations of their habits during breed- 

 ing, made in Pennsylvania, were that early in April they begin to prepare 

 their nest. This is built in the hollow body or branch of a tree, sometimes, 



