THE COLLECTORS' MONTHLY. 



Mr. Coues in his excellent book — 

 " Key to North American Birds," in- 

 cludes with No. 459, Colaptes Mesci- 

 canus, the two Union List numbers, . 

 413 Colaptes Cqfer, and 413a Colap- 

 tes ccCfer saturatior, with foot note on 

 No. 413a. u An alleged dark colored 

 form occuring on the North-west 

 coast from Columbia river to Sitka, a 

 region of heavy rainfall where tenden- 

 cy of the whole ornis is to acquire 

 heavier colorations. 



Colaptes Chroysoides, No. 414 U. L. 

 has the appearance of a combination 

 of the two former, as it has the scarlet 

 maler stripe and no scarlet nmckal 

 crescent. Coloring of the shafts of 

 primaries and tail feathers, with the 

 under surface of the wings and tail, 

 are the same as the Auratus. I un- 

 derstand that the Auratus in Kansas, 

 shows touches of red in the maler 

 stripe ; I have also killed this same 

 bird in Jackson County, Mo., with tail 

 rubricated. Hybridity of this species 

 has long been questioned. Mr. Goss 

 in his estimable work — " Birds of 

 Kansas," names both the Auratus U. 

 L., 412, and Cafer 413, as being indi- 

 genous to the State, and indification 

 similar. Why not hybridity ? All 

 the birds noted above are beautiful ; 

 especially so when grouped together 

 and mounted with wings outstretched 

 and placed so as to show off their 

 lovely colors. The nidus is in a hole 

 or excavation ; and the eggs are a pure 

 white, being pyriform in shape and al- 

 most transparent. 1 took from a nest 

 last summer, in an old apple tree, of 



Colaptes- Auratus, 15 eggs ; I could 

 stand on the ground and reach the 

 nidus hole ; this same nest was robbed 

 the year previous, and about a dozen 

 eggs taken out. The Yellow-hammer 

 or Flicker, with its many aliases, is 

 well known and common in the east- 

 ern and middle states, it being an ac- 

 tive and busy bird, generally the first 

 seen on ones approach to the woods, 

 principally on the ground with the 

 robins and other of its like ; searching 

 about some old decayed log or stump, 

 or in the top of some tall tree or snag; 

 hammering and yelling at the height 

 of its voice, calling to its mate. 



Migratory ; leaving in the fall and 

 early winter, though frequently some 

 remain the entire winter season. 



Those returning in the early spring 

 (some arrived this year as early as the 

 twentieth of February), begin nesting 

 in the later part of April to the first 

 of May. The flesh is much esteemed 

 by some and when on the market is 

 eagerly purchased by the restaurants. 

 John A. Bryant, 



Kansas City, Mo. 



Marsh Tern. 



Sterna Aranea. 

 From Watch Hill, the famous sum- 

 mer resort, extends a narrow strip of 

 sand ; about west, and formed by the 

 Pawtucket river and Little Narragan- 

 sett Bay. This narrow neck of land, 

 from 100 to 500 yds. in width extends 

 a distance of some 16 miles, terminat- 

 ing in what is known as " Sandy 

 Point." On the widest part of this 



