WOODPECKERS. 327 



are : (1) A loud scream, wholly witliout the savageness obser- 

 vable in those of many birds of prey, but, on the contrary, 

 rather jovial ; (2) the rapid repetition of another unmusical 

 though merry sound ; 2inA finally a lower note, chiefly of affec- 

 tion, to which many of their names owe their origin, such as 

 that of " Flicker." This last cry is a series of dissyllabic notes, 

 and sounds like wicM -a-wick' -a-wich' -a^uoich' -a-wick' -a-wick' -a. 

 This is rarely heard unless two birds are together. 



The Golden-winged Woodpeckers are undoubtedly less ben- 

 eficial than many others of their tribe, but they never do 

 enough injury to warrant their death at the hands of farmers. 

 They are, however, but little molested, I believe, except by 

 young sportsmen. 



n. MELANERPES. 



A. ERTTHKOCEPHALUS. "^ Red-headed Woodpecker. 

 Scarcely now to be ranked as a bird of Massachusetts.* 



a. About 9J inches long. Head, crimson. Interscapu- 

 lars, wings, and tail, blue black, highly glossed on the back 

 and shoulders. Other parts (and the secondaries), white. 



h. The eggs average about 1.10 X -85 of an inch. See I, 

 A,h. 



c. The Red-headed Woodpeckers were once common about 

 Boston, but I have seen but one within the last five years. I 

 know no part of New England where they are not rare, and 

 I shall therefore quote a large part of Wilson's biography of 



^^ The Ked-bellied Woodpecker (M. said to nest regularly and rather com- 



carolinuSy with the crown and nape naonly in western Vermont, but every- 



bright red, or in the female partly so) where else in New England it appears to 



may rarely occur in New England." be of rare and exceptional occurrence, 



" Two specimens have since been especially in the breeding-season. In 

 taken near Boston ; the first, a female, the autumn of 1881, however, it ap- 

 shot by Mr. William Adair in a chest- peared in very great numbers in north- 

 nut grove at Newton, November 25, ern Connecticut and eastern Massa- 

 1880 (Bull. N. O. C, Vol. VI, April, chusetts. About Boston the greatest 

 1881, p. 120)"; the second, an adult numbers were seen during the latter 

 male, killed by Mr. Matthew Luce, Jr., part of September, in October, aud early 

 at Cohasset, May 28, 1881 (ibid., July, in November ; but many birds spent the 

 1881, p. 183). There are a few other entire winter, and a few pairs nested 

 records for southern New England. — the following spring. There is also a 

 W. B. record of a nest found at Brookline, 



* The Red-headed Woodpecker is Massachusetts, in June, 1878. —W.B. 



