RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. 171 



syllable chow or chaw, quickly repeated during its movements, some- 

 times singly, but more usually doubled. 



It feeds on all sorts of insects and larvas which it can procure, and 

 at certain periods its flesh is strongly impregnated with the odour of its 

 food. When procured in any part of the woods that have been burnt, 

 the feathers of its lower parts are almost black, from the carbonaceous 

 matter adhering to them ; and generally in winter, at least in the Flo- 

 ridas, I have foimd its plumage more soiled than in summer. I have 

 represented a male and a female, in their perfect spring plumage. 



Picus CAROX.INUS, lAun. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 174. — Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 231.— 



C/i. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 46. 

 Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pictis cakolinus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. i. p. 113, 



pi. 7, fig. 2. Male. 

 Red-bellied Woodpeckeh, Nuttdll, Manual, vol. i. p. 572. 



Adult Male. Plate CCCCXV. Fig. 3. ' 



Bill about the length of the head, nearly straight, being very slight- 

 ly decurved or arched, strong, angular, compressed toward the tip, 

 which is trimcate and cuneate. Upper mandible with the dorsal line 

 somewhat arched, the ridge very narrow, the sides sloping but convex 

 the lateral angle slight, near the ridge, the edges sharp, direct, over- 

 lapping. Lower mandible with the angle short and rather narrow, the 

 crural outline concave, the dorsal line ascending and straight, the sides 

 ascending and convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip narrow. 

 Nostrils oblong, basal, concealed by the feathers, and placed about 

 half-way between the ridge and the edge. 



Head of moderate size, ovate ; neck rather short ; body full. Feet 

 very short ; tarsus very short, feathered anteriorly one-third down, in 

 the rest of its extent covered with a few large scutella, compressed 

 with a series of small scutella internally behind ; toes four ; first toe 

 small, fourth a little shorter than third, second and third xmited at the 

 base ; all scutellate above ; claws large, much curved, compressed 

 laterally grooved, very acute. 



Plumage full, soft, and blended. A tuft of reversed stiffish fea- 

 thers on each side of the base of the upper mandible, concealing the 

 nostrils; the feathers in the angle of the lower mandible also stiffish. 

 Wings rather long ; the first quill very small, being only an inch and 



