m 



WOODPFX'KERS. 



233 



tiint resoiiibliince to the mew of the Catbird" (Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 

 i, 1870, p. (59). 



The .Sai)suoker feeds largely on the juices of trees, wliich it obtains 

 by perforating the bark. (See IJolies, Auk. viii, 18!)1, p. lioO ; ix, 18'J3, 

 p' 110.) 



405. Ceophlceus pileatusi /w';«/M. I'ii.katkd \V(mii>i>k( kkic. A</.s. 

 — L'luier piirts lilackish rii>ciiiis; wliulu top of tlic liuacl seurlft, the featiiers 

 leiii:lhi.'Ueil to t'oriii a cre.-st ; a narrow wliite stripe horilfrinj^ this crest scpa- 

 ratis it I'ruiii thu fuscous cur-covcrts; a stripe bcLjiuniuy; at tlic nostril and 

 pa>siiiix down tlie sides of the neck to the sliouldcrs is tinjrcd witii ydluw 

 hcfore the eye aud is white l>ack (^f the eye; it is separated from tiie white 

 throat liy a scarlet stripe at tlie liase of tlie lower uiaudihle; hasal iialf of the 

 winy-fcaliicrs wiiiti'; under parts fuscous, the feathers soinctinics lij,rlitly 

 uiarfj^ined with white; bill horn-color, ^iil. 9 . — Similar, Imt without red on 

 the lore part of the crown or at the base of the lower maiulible. L., IT'OU; 

 W., 8-VMJ; T., tl-'jo; H., l-,s5. 



7^««ye.—" Formerly whole wooded retrion of North America, now rare or 

 extirpated in the more thickly settled jiarts of the Kasteru .Stales."' 

 \Vashiny;ton, rare 1'. K. 

 yest, twenty-tivu to eighty feet from the groum.!. A\"j'-<, four to six, 1*30 



This species is common only in the wilder parts of its range. In 

 the hummocks and cypress swamps of Florida it occurs in nuudjers. 

 There, contrary to the experience of Audubon, I found it by no means 

 a wild bird. Indeed, Flickers were more difTicult to ap[)roacli. On 

 the Suwanee River, in March, I have called these birds to me by sim- 

 ply clapping my slightly closed palms, making a sound in imitation 

 of their tap[)ing on a resonant limb. 



The flight of this species is rather slow, but usually direct, not 

 undulating, as in most Woodpeckers. When timler way thi; white 

 nuirkings of the wings show conspicuously. Their usual call-note is a 

 sonorous roir-roiv-row, repeated rather slowly inany times, suggesting 

 a somewhat similar call of the Flicker's. Like the Flicker, they have 

 also a wlchi'W note uttered when two birds come together. 



406. Melanerpes erythrocephalus I Z //'/'. ^. Rko-hkaofi) Woon- 

 I'KiKKu. Ai/. — Head, necU, tlii'oat, and upper breast deep red; ujipcr back, 

 primaries, bases of the secondaries, and wiii;r-co verts bluish black; end half 

 of tiic secondaries, rump, and upjier tail-coverts white; tail black, tlu; feath- 

 ers more or less tii»|ied or maririned .ith white; lower breast and belly white, 

 tlie middle of the latter generally tiiiu'cd with reddish. Ii/i. — Red liead and 

 neck of the adult replaced by mixed irrayish brown and fuscous; upper 1 a>'k 

 bluish black, iiarreil with ashy; primaries and w imr-coverts black; ctid half 

 of Mic secondaries irrcirularly barred with black; tail black. L'<'ni'rally tijipcd 

 with white; lower breast anil iielly white, more or less streaked or ;-\)olted 

 with fuscous. L., li'T.j; \V., 5-.')'.i; T., .'i'.'JO ; !»., PIT. 



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