AMERICAN PHEASANT. 335 



AMERICAN PHEASANT. Phasianus Americanus. 



The existence of a species of Pheasant in America appears to be 

 proved by the following notice from Dr Townsend. " On the 13th 

 of August 1834, I saw two specimens of the long- tailed Pheasant. 

 They inhabited the pine-trees in a deep and tangled dell, called Thorn- 

 bury's Pass, near Mallade River, in the Rocky Mountains. They ap- 

 peared rather tame, flying for short distances before our party, and 

 alighting near the summits of the tall pines. This bird in length ap- 

 peared about equal to the English Pheasant, but not so heavy-bodied. 

 The tail was as long, or longer. The general colour was dark brown 

 or black, with some white below. The hunters mentioned havinsr seen 

 several of these birds during the day, and one of the rascals shot one 

 with his rifle, and left it lying upon the ground. They had never met 

 with such birds before." 



NUTTALL'S WHIP-POOR-WIILL. Caprimulgvs Nuttallii. 



According to my friend Mr Nuttall, there exists in the Rocky 

 Mountains a species of Caprimulgus scarcely half the size of the Whip- 

 poor-will. It was frequently seen by him, often within a few feet, but 

 was not procured, probably because he is not in the habit of carrying a 

 gun on his rambles. 



RED-BACKED WOODPECKER. Picus fysrhonotus. 



" On the 10th of June 1835," Dr Townsend informs me, " I ob- 

 served a Black Woodpecker, about the size of Picus torquatus, on the 

 Columbia River, near Fort Vancouver. On the back between the 

 shoulders was a large red space. I found it flitting about among the 

 pine trees near the bank of the river. It was very shy, and on alight- 

 ing emitted a strange sort of guttural note, unlike any sound I ever 

 heard before. After pursuing it for a considerable time, I succeeded 

 in getting a shot at it, though at a great distance, and the bird fell, ap- 

 parently dead. Upon going up to the spot, I found the ground covered 

 in the vicinity with a dense crowd of tangled bushes, through which it 

 was impossible to make way. I went immediately to the Fort, a dis- 

 tance of about three miles, and procured a matchette or large knife, 

 returned to the spot, and cut away all the bushes near the tree where 

 the bird fell, but could not find it. Whether it was only wounded and 

 crawled away, or whether it had been taken, during my absence, by 



