

ey OE ee Oe ae. 
ee ral me hry cot 
ts eg ee ees tise ae el Reem eee | Cai i? aye 


THE FAUNA OF MONTANA TERRITORY. 599 
elevation of over 3500 feet above the sea, but not in an 
Alpine region, at least in September, though there was slight 
frost at night, and snow falls from three to six feet deep in 
winter. 
RED-NECKED WOODPECKER (Sphyrapicus: nuchalis). I 
first met with this beautiful species along the Hell Gate 
river, August 25th (No. 73), and afterwards found it rather 
common, but very shy, as far as the Bitterroot crossing. It 
was not seen in the dense forests west of this, but reappeared 
quite abundantly, though moulting and bad in plumage, at 
the Cœur d’Alefie Mission. I suppose, therefore, that it 
extends around the north end of these mountains through 
the valley of Clark’s Fork. I commonly found it frequenting 
dense thickets of willows, ete., tapping their bark, and once 
saw one on a high spruce tree. (1 had. some doubts whether 
the larger specimen, No. 118, was not the young of S. ruber, 
but think not.) 
Rep-HEAapED Wooprecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus). 
I saw a Red-head Woodpecker high on the eastern slope of 
the Rocky Mountains, but none on the west side. i 
Lewis’ Wooprrcker (M. torquatus). This bird is quite 
common at. the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains, thus 
Visiting the regions inhabited by its cousin, the Red-head, 
which does not seem, however, to return the civility. The 
habits of the two species are very similar, but this species 1s, 
perhaps, more of a berry eater and less of a hard worker. 
I found it much less common on the western slopes of the 
Rocky Mountains than it is between the Cascade and Coast 
ranges, mas 
- ReD-snarrED FLIoKeR ( Colaptes Mexicanus). This Flicker 
is common throughout the Rocky Mountains, but I noticed 
none of the hybrid variety common along the Missouri and 
its branches, which were obtained. by Dr. Suckley as far west 
as Milk river in 1853, and by myself at Fort Laramie. 
Cumney SwaLLow (Chetura pelasgia? or Vaux ?). I 
did not notice Chimney Swallows along the lower Missouri, 
