CABANIS'S WOODrECKEE. 55 



acorns. At this season I have often seen this species around slaughter houses, 

 picking up stray bits of meat or fat, and have also seen it perking at haunches 

 of venison hung up in the open air. It is a rather unsocial bird at all times, 

 and it is rare to see more than a pair together, excepting when still caring for 

 their young to which they appear to be very devoted for some time after these 

 have left their nests. 



Its nesting habits are entirely similar to those of Dryobates villosus; both 

 sexes share the work in excavating the nesting site, as well as the duty of incu- 

 bation, which lasts about fifteen days. Their holes are usually located from 12 

 to 18 feet from the ground, and occasionally as low as 3 feet, or again in the dead 

 top of a tall pine, fully 50 feet up, and it breeds earlier than any other Wood- 

 pecker found in the same localities. The number of eggs laid to a set varies 

 from three to six; those of four are by far the most common: sets of five are 

 only occasionally met with, while sets of six are very unusual. Mr. Denis Gale 

 has taken a set of six, and I also found one. The eggs lie on the tine chips 

 left in the bottom of the cavity, and are occasionally well paoked into these, 

 so that only about one-half of the egg is visible. They resemble the eggs 

 of Dryobates villosus in color, but those of an elliptical ovate shape are more 

 common than the oval and elliptical ovals, averaging, therefore, more in length, 

 while there is proportionably less difference in their short diameter. 



The average measurements of forty-four specimens in the United States 

 National Museum collection is 2-4.95 by 18.49 millimetres, or about 0.98 by <».73 

 inch. The largest egg of the series measures 26.16 by 18.80 millimetres, or 

 1.03 by 0.74 inches; the smallest, 23.37 by 17.78 millimetres, or 0.92 by 0.70 inch. 



The type specimen, No. 19422 (not figured), from a set of three eggs, 

 Bendire collection, was taken by the writer in the Blue Mountains, near Cam}) 

 Harney, Oregon, on May 29, 1875. 



21. Dryobates pubescens (Linx^eus). 



DOWNY WOODPECKER. 



Picus puhescens Linnaeus, Systema Naturae, eel. 12, 1, 1766, 175. 

 D[ryobates] pubescens Cabanis, Museum Heineanum, IY, June 15, 1S63, 62. 

 (B 76, O 299, E 361, C 410, U 391.) 



Geographical range : Eastern and northern North America ; from Florida and the 

 Gulf States north through the Dominion of Canada, in southern Labrador, to about latitude 

 55° N.; thence in a northwesterly direction through the Northeast Territory, Keewatin, 

 and the Northwest Territory to northern Alaska, to about latitude 66° N. ; west to Mani- 

 toba, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, the Indian Territory, and eastern Texas. 

 Irregularly to Montana, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and California. Acci- 

 dental in England. 



The Downy Woodpecker, also known as the "Little Sapsucker" and "Little 

 Guinea "Woodpecker," is the smallest of our Picida, closely resembling a Hairy 

 Woodpecker in coloration, but much smaller. Like it, it is an extremely hardy 



