THE PILEATED WOODPECKER. 107 



of Beverly, New Jersey, writes me: "On June 4, 1893, in company with a 

 friend, I discovered a nest of the Pileated Woodpecker, in Cape May County, 

 New Jersey, containing hve young birds. Our attention was attracted by the 

 female, who, with food in her mouth, flew about us from tree to tree, very 

 much agitated, and uttering a chattering note resembling that of a tree frog. 

 Upon an examination of the surrounding trunks of dead trees, we located the 

 nest, which was about 12 feet above the ground. Two of the young were 

 removed and examined, they were nearly able to fly. Although we remained 

 there nearly an hour watching the female through field glasses as she returned 

 to the nest to feed her young, the male bird was not seen. This is the first 

 occurrence of its breeding in this locality that I have met with." 



From three to five eggs are usually laid to a set, but I have seen it stated 

 that the Pileated Woodpecker often laid six, and that a nest found near Farm- 

 ville, Virginia, contained eight. An egg is deposited daily, and incubation 

 begins occasionally before the set is completed, and lasts about eighteen days, 

 both sexes assisting in this duty, as well as in caring for the young. Like all 

 Woodpeckers, the Pileated are very devoted parents, and the young follow them 

 for some weeks after leaving the nest, until fully capable of caring for themselves. 

 Only one brood is raised in a season. The eggs of the Pileated Woodpecker 

 are pure china- white in color, mostly ovate in shape; the shell is exceedingly 

 fine grained and very glossy, as if enameled; they are not as pointed as those of 

 the Ivory-billed, and average smaller. 



The average measurements of twenty-nine specimens in the United States 

 National Museum collection, mostly from Florida, are 32.44 by 24.08 millimetres, 

 or about 1.28 by 0.95 inches. The largest egg of the series measures 35.56 by 

 25.15 millimetres, or 1.40 by 0.99 inches; the smallest, 30.22 by 22.61 milli- 

 metres, or 1.19 by 0.89 inches. 



The type specimen, No. 26529 (PI. 1, Fig. 5), Ralph collection, from a set 

 of three eggs, was taken by Dr. William L. Ralph, near San Mateo, Florida, 

 April 13, 1893. It represents one of the larger eggs of the series. 



39. Melanerpes erythrocephalus (Linnaeus). 



RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. 



Picus erythrocephalus Ltnnjgus, Systema Naturae, ed. 10, I, 1758, 113. 

 Melanerpes erythrocephalus SwAiNSON, Fauna Boreali Americaua, II, 1831, 316. 

 (B 91, O 309, R 375, C 453, U 406.) 



Geographical range : Temperate North America; from the southern United States 

 north in the eastern provinces of the Dominion of Canada to about latitude 46°; rare or 

 casual only in the maritime provinces; in the interior in Manitoba north to about latitude 

 50°; west, in the United States, to the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains from Mon- 

 tana to Colorado, western Kansas, the Indian Territory, and the eastern half of Texas. 

 Casual in Utah (Salt Lake City) and southern Arizona (Chiricahua Mountains). 



The Red-headed Woodpecker, one of the best known and handsomest 

 species of the Picidce found in the United States, is unquestionably the most dis- 

 reputable representative of this family; but this fact does not appear to be very 



