September. 1919] 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



49 



erythrocephalus cr'^ihrophlhalmus ; but since they 

 are practically the same in size' as typical Mela- 

 nerpes er^throcephalus erythrocephalus, they are to 

 be referred to that form. 



Birds from Mount Scott, in south central Okla- 

 homa, belong undoubtedly to the western race, as do 

 also birds from central New Mexico, and breeding 

 birds from the Panhandle of northwestern Texas. 



Red-headed woodpeckers from Minnesota are 

 rather large and frequently have red on the abdomen, 

 but appear to be, as a whole, nearer the eastern form. 

 All the specimens from Texas examined, except those 

 from the northwestern portion, belong to the typical 

 eastern bird. 



By the segregation of the present subspecies the 

 range of Melanerpes erythrocephalus er^lhrocephalus 

 becomes restricted to the following area: 



Eastern United States and southeastern Canada: 

 north to New Brunswick, southern Quebec, and 

 southern Ontario; west to Minnesota, Iowa, Mis- 

 souri, Arkansas, and central Texas; south to south- 

 eastern Texas, southern Louisiana, and southern 

 Florida; and east to the Atlantic coast of the United 

 States and New Brunswick. Casual in Nova 

 Scotia. 



The technical name to be used for the western 

 red-headed woodpecker involves an interesting com- 

 plication. In an annotated list of the birds of 

 Fergus County, Montana, Prof. P. M. Silloway 

 enters this species as follows:'^ 



"406. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, Mel- 

 anerpes erythrophthalmus. 



This handsome woodpecker occurs sparingly in 

 the wooded coulees near Lewistown, which is cer- 

 tainly near the western limit of its distribution. On 

 several occasions I have seen it along Big Casino, 

 where it breeds. On June 9, 1903, I noted the pres- 

 ence of the red-headed woodpecker at Cottonwood. 

 Dr. J. A. Allen states that the red-headed wood- 

 pecker was abundant everywhere from the Mis- 

 souri to the Yellowstone, far outnumbering all the 

 other Picidae together. It is migratory in this 

 portion of its range, making its appearance about 

 the middle of May, and beginning to nest early 

 in June. 



Distinguishing features: Head, neck, and upper 

 part of body crimson ; middle of back across, bluish- 

 black; other parts white; length 9-10 inches." 



The name Melanerpes er^throphlhaltnus is appar- 

 ently a lapsus calami for Melanerpes eryihrocepha- 

 lus, and there is no other evidence that the author in- 

 tended to describe a new species or subspecies. The 

 name Melanerpes er\;throphthalmus does not occur 



i^i. iviclgway, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 50, pt. 

 VI, 1914. p. 43. 



sBull. Fergus County Free High School, No. 1, 

 1903, p. 36. 



in the index, but the species is duly entered there^ 

 as Melanerpes erythrocephalus. If no description 

 had been given, the name Melanerpes erythroph- 

 thalmus could have been regarded as a nomen 

 nudum; but it is validated by the addition of the per- 

 fectly recognizable description, for it certainly can 

 not be called a typographical error; therefore, ac- 

 cording to the rules of nomenclature, it must be ap- 

 plied to the form of red-headed woodpecker occur- 

 ring in its locality, now that this is found to be 

 different from typical Melanerpes crythrocephalus. 

 Its type locality is, of course, Fergus County, 

 Montana; furthermore, since Lewistown is the first 

 definite place mentioned we may legitimately select 

 this as the restricted type locality. The original 

 description of Melanerpes erythrocephalus^" was 

 based on the bird of South Carolina, so that this 

 name is, of course, properly applicable to the 

 eastern race. 



The specimens of this newly recognized race 

 examined are principally in the United States Na- 

 tional Museum, including the collection of the 

 Biological Survey, but additional examples seen are 

 in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, the Am- 

 erican Museum of Natural History, and the Field 

 Museum of Natural History. The writer is further 

 indebted to Mr. Charles B. Cory for data in regard 

 to specimens in the collections under his charge. 

 The 46 specimens of Melanerpes erythrocephalus 

 erythrophthalmus examined are from the localities 

 given in the subjoined list. 



Co/ora Jo.— Denver (June 5, 1874); Bear Creek 

 (June 7, 1873); Pueblo (July 23, 25, and 28, 

 1874); Fort Lyon (May 16 and 19, 1883); North 

 Fork of South Platte River (July 12, __); Kettle 

 Creek (August 6, __) ; Huntsville, August 7, __). 



Kansas. — Hart's Hill, east of Fort Riley (June 

 13, 1856). 



Mon/ana.— Custer's Creek (August I, 1873); 

 near old Fort Sarpy (August 9, 1873); Big Bend 

 of Musselshell River (August 24, 1873); Sun 

 River (September 5, 1867); 5 miles southeast of 

 Ekalaka (May 31, 1916); Crow Agency (August 

 5 and 6, 1916); Little Missouri River, 8 miles 

 north of Capilol (June 3, 1916); Pilgrim Creek, 

 8 m.iles northeast of Broadus (June 12, 1916); 

 Darnall's Ranch, Dawson County, 30 miles south 

 of Glasgow (June 28, 1910; July I, 1910); Zort- 

 man (July 28,1910). 



A/cfcras^a.— Valentine (September 8, 1891). 



Nerv Mexico.— Bear Canyon, Raton Range (Sep- 

 tember 10, 1903). 



North Dakota.— Valley City (June 25, 1912); 



uloid.. ), 7r>. 



ii'flMcus] ErythriK-ophalus Linn lou.*;. Sy.«t. Nat. 

 (Ml. 10, I. 17-18. p. 113 (•soaihi-rn South rarolnri' 

 based on Cate.sby. Nat. Hist. Car.. Florida. Bahamp 

 Is., r, 1743, p. 20, pi. XX.) 



