618 OHIO BIRDS. 



oppose our views, for, though quite varied in plumage, their range during the breed- 

 ing season is nearly coextensive. 



Of the remaining Families, the Blue-bird, Sialia sialis, resembles the Robin in develop- 

 ing color areas from the spotted type. The Brown Creeper, C. familiaris, Shore 

 Lark, B. alpestrU, Titlark, A. ludovioianus, retain the streaked type of plumage and all 

 breed north of us. 



In some instances interesting comparisons may be made between two species of the 

 same or allied genera. In Family Laniidae we have two species and one variety. The 

 Northern Shrike, C. borealis, differs in color from the Loggerhead, C. ludoviciamis in 

 having its under-parts waved, the black bar of the side of the head not meeting its 

 fellow across the forehead and bordered above by a hoary white line, the extreme fore- 

 head in the Loggerhead Shrike being black, not bordered above with white, and the 

 under-parls unbarred white. The young of Ivdovicianus, however, like the young of 

 iorealis, is barred above and below. This barring disappears first from the upper parts, 

 but specimens otherwise in adult plumage are sometimes plainly barred below. Young 

 ludovidanus often lacks any indication of the black frontlet, and sometimes it is de- 

 veloped on one half the forehead only. The base of the bill is light colored below, 

 and altogether the young of the Loggerhead bears a greater resemblance to the adult 

 Northern Shrike than to its own parents. 



In a comparison between the Eed-headed Woodpecker. M. erythrocephalus, a species of 

 southern distribution, and with the exception of the XeUow-bellied Woodpecker, P. varim, 

 the most migratory ia habit, and the Flicker, 0. auratus, a species of more northern 

 distribation, and more nearly resident with us, we find some unexpected points of resem- 

 blance. The adult Eed-headed Woodpecker has well defined color areas and both sexes 

 are alike- The Flicker presents a spotted plumage below and bars above, both types in 

 their most perfect development. In the young of the Red-headed Woodpecker we find 

 the under-parts spotted and the upper-parts obviously barred. The spots and bars soon 

 disappear from the under and upper-parts of the body but on the distal half of the 

 secondaries the bars remain for one or two years, acquiring the individual perfection at- 

 tained by the bars on the secondaries of the Flickers, the most distal bar being the last to 

 disappear. The red of the Red-headed Woodpecker first appears as a narrow crescent 

 on the nape, which is followed by a spot on the breast, and another extending from 

 the auriculars a short distance down the side of the neck. These red spots occupy 

 respectively the situation of the nuchal crescent, the pectoral crescent and the maxillary 

 patches of the male Flicker. Soon after this developement of plumage the young leave 

 for the south and the changes immediately following are unknown to me. In the 

 spring the birds return with a red head and more or less perfect black pectoral cresent, 

 traces of which are seen until it arrives at its highest plumage, if not sometimes per- 

 manently, and one or two black bars on the secondaries. So that it appears the Eed- 

 headed Woodpecker passes through a pattern of plumage similar to that which is per- 

 manent in the Flicker. 



We have considered the relation of the spotted, barred and streaked patterns of plum- 

 age in connection with young and adult birds, and northern and southern birds The 

 question may now be asked, Is there a similar relation of developement between the 

 patterns themselves ? We have examined them in the order of the families in which we 

 found the most extensive presentation of each pattern. Is there anything to indicate 

 that the spotted pattern is a more highly developed pattern than the streaked t 

 In other words is there any reason, from the pattern of plumage alone, why the typical 

 thrushes with ten primaries should s and first in the arrangement of our birds, or should 



