1912] Swartk: Birds and Mammals from Vancouver Island 33 



Prom these measurements it is apparent that while the birds 

 from northwestern America are a trifle larger than eastern speci- 

 mens, the differences are very slight. One character of the 

 western birds is quite apparent, however, — the greater length of 

 the secondaries a.s compared with eastern birds, shown in the 

 closed wing by the diminished spare between the tip of the longest 

 secondary and the tip of the longest primary. As shown in the 

 accompanying table, there is almost no overlapping of measure- 

 ments in this regard in the specimens examined by me. This 

 difference was figured and described by Grinnell (1910, p. 388) 

 in his description of caurina, and is constantly present in all the 

 specimens examined by me. It seems to be, however, the only 

 character that can be relied upon in separating the two races, 

 for occasional eastern birds are as large as the largest western 

 ones, and there are no differences in color or pattern. 



Dryobates villosus harrisi (Audubon) 

 Harris Woodpecker 



Of fairly common occurrence at every point visited, except at 

 high altitudes. Many were seen at Beaver Creek in June, in- 

 cluding full-grown juvenals, which began to appear by the 

 middle of the month. In the higher mountains, the Golden 

 Eagle and King Solomon basins, in July, a few were noted, but 

 they were not common. Seen almost daily at Nootka Sound, 

 both on the Tahsis Canal and at Friendly Cove ; and quite 

 abundant in the woods at the head of Central Lake. At Erring- 

 ton, during September, they were common everywhere in the 

 woods. 



Compared with a series of hairy woodpeckers from south- 

 eastern Alaska the Vancouver Island birds are slightly smaller, 

 and decidedly darker and more smoky on the ventral surface. 

 None of the series shows the light-colored underparts distinguish- 

 ing the former. In two specimens, no. 15664, Great Central 

 Lake, August 23, and no. 15667, Errington, September 14, both 

 adult males, the white dorsal stripe is very restricted, and 

 streaked with black ; in another, no. 15658, Errington, May 24, 

 an adult female, it is distinctly barred. All three, as well as 

 some others in the series, have flank markings, usually black 



