BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 133 



dant covering of " long moss," entirely concealed my person from this 

 woodchopper's keen eye. I watched, and soon saw its large bill clasp- 

 ing a chip appear at the opening of the cavity, in another instant the 

 head and neck were protruded, and after taking a quick survey of all 

 surroundings, as if to assure herself that no enemy was a witness to 

 her industry and vigilance, the chip was dropped down, and the bird 

 resumed her digging. After she had thus reappeared several times 

 with pieces of wood, and always manifested the same caution before 

 dropping the chips, I, when she again came in view, made a slight 

 noise, but did not show myself, when immediately she dropped back 

 into the cavity and did not again continue her labors or show herself, 

 although I remained quiet for several minutes. As the dinner horn 

 had sounded some time before, I deemed it more important to attend 

 to the wants of the inner man than to continue to wait for the bird to 

 renew her work, and picking up a piece of shell-rock I threw it against 

 the limb, when she flew out uttering a shrill cry. These birds feed 

 largely on beetles and their larvae, which are so abundant in dead 

 trees. Wild grapes, berries and acorns are also sometimes eaten. 



GENUS MEL.ANERPES. SWAINSON. 

 406. Melanerpes erythrocephalus (LINN.). 



Red-headed Woodpecker. 



DESCRIPTION. (Plate 21.) 



Head and neck all around crimson red, margined by a narrow crescent of black 

 on the upper part of the breast ; back, primary quills, and tail bluish-black ; under 

 parts generally, a broad band across the middle of the wing, and the rump white ; 

 belly usually tinged with reddish. Bill and feet blue-black ; iris brown. Female is 

 not different 



Younrj. Head, neck and back dull gray, varied with blackish ; secondary feath- 

 ers, usually crossed with dark bands. The head in nearly all specimens taken in 

 fall and winter, with more or less red feathers. 



Length, 9^ inches ; extent about 18 ; wing, 5? inches. 



Hab. United States, west to the Rocky mountains, straggling westward to Salt 

 Lake valley ; rare or local east of the Hudson river. 



The Red-headed Woodpecker, readily recognized by its red, white 

 and blue plumage, is found in Pennsylvania at all seasons, but during 

 the summer is much more abundant than at other periods. I have 

 repeatedly observed these birds during the autumn and winter months, 

 in small parties numbering from eight to a dozen or sometimes twenty 

 individuals, but never found them in large flocks. Mr. Gentry says : 

 'Near the center of our State, especially in the counties of Union and 

 Northumberland, the greatest numbers are to be found. No later 

 than the tenth of August, we have seen immense flocks, numbering 

 hundreds, in orchards, gleaning among the trunks and branches of 

 apple trees for the insects which lurk in their creviced bark. So tame 



