BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 235 
only incidental, and unavoidable to their destruction of insects 
which are the real destroyers of the trees, and whose work is 
usually charged to the woodpeckers. They cannot equally be 
defended against the charge of destroying fruit sometimes, but 
we can afford them a reasonable apology when we credit them 
with the destruction of so many of its worst enemies. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Head and neck all around crimson red, margined by a narrow 
crescent of black on the upper part of the breast; back, pri- 
mary quills and tail bluish-black: under parts generally, a 
broad band across the middle of the wing, and the rump, 
white; iris hazel; bill and feet bluish-black. 
Sexes alike. 
Length, 9.75; wing, 5.50; (tail not given). 
Habitat, United States, west to the Rocky mountains, strag- 
glers reaching Salt Lake valley; rare, or local east of the 
Hudson river. 
COLAPTES AURATUS (L.). (412.) 
FLICKER. 
At once the most abundant, and extensively distributed of 
all of the woodpeckers which visit Minnesota. It reaches us 
early in April, and remains until late in October, individuals 
lingering not altogether infrequently into November. The 
dates through a series of annual records give March 28th 
April 1st, 5th, 8th, 10th, &c. 
I have heard rumors of individuals of this species having 
been seen at different times in the winter, but not sufficiently 
authenticated for unqualified acceptance. As I have known to 
be the case with several other even less hardy species, it is 
possible that a wound might have disabled the bird temporarily 
for its migratorial flight, and when able to endure it, find the 
winter upon it so fully as to intimidate it for the effort. It 
certainly is no place for such after the holidays. The places 
chosen for the nest may be on the whole a little more elevated, 
but otherwise their habits in no way differ from the others of 
its family. 
The nests are constructed, and the full five to six pure white 
translucent eggs deposited by the 1st to the 10th of May. 
None other bird of its entire order is so welcome, coming 
back among the earliest after the severe, prolonged, irksome 
winter has finally gone, with its cheery hurrah, the nearest 
expression to which I can formulate being in hwrric-ah, hwr- 
