1877. ] The Golden- Winged Woodpecker. TAT 
creation attended with all the wealth and display for the pur- 
pose of honoring the captors of Mexico, and destined to disappear 
as soon as the crafty conquerors had accomplished their object. 
NOTES ON THE BREEDING HABITS OF THE GOLDEN- 
WINGED WOODPECKER. 
BY DAVID A. LYLE, U.S. A. 
N the afternoon of May 6, 1877, as I was strolling among 
the trees in the lower part of the Armory grounds, at Spring- 
field, Massachusetts, I heard the faint hammering of a woodpecker 
(Colaptes auratus). Listening intently for some moments to as- 
certain, if possible, the direction from whence the sounds came, I 
proceeded onward with the stealthy tread of the Indian, — 
learned long since in the wilds of the far West. After advanc- 
ing in this noiseless manner for some rods, I again halted and 
turned my ear successively in different directions the better to 
catch the faint sounds made by the industrious feathered artisan. 
Again I heard the rapping, and satisfied that I was traveling in 
the proper course I advanced some distance farther in the same 
quiet manner, and upon listening attentively for about a minute 
I was rewarded by hearing the sounds much more plainly. 
I now redoubled my caution, following the sound more and 
more slowly for fear of alarming the shy worker. At last, I 
directed my attention tô three trees, in one of which I was con- 
vinced that the woodpecker was working. The muffled sounds 
indicated that the bird had already penetrated the trunk of the 
limb or tree in which the nest was to be made. Carefully I 
approached the first tree, and placing my ear in contact with 
the trunk I awaited a repetition of the hammering. Again I 
heard it, but no more audibly than before reaching the tree. I 
tried the second tree with better success, for by pressing my ear 
against the trunk I could hear the thumpings very distinctly in- 
_ deed. Now I was sure that I had found my bird, which conclu- 
sion was strengthened by finding among the grass near the foot 
= of the tree quantities of small, fresh chips which the bird had _ 
ejected from his newly located domicile. 
These chips were scattered over quite an area in the vicinity 
of the tree. On stealthily retreating from the roots of the tree 
in. the direction indicated by the chips, I saw the hole bored by 
the object of my search. It had been screened from my view 
