RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER. 



25 l 



RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER. (Picus querulus.) 



PLATE XV.— Pig. 1. 



Peak's Museum, No. 2027. 



DENDROCOPUS QUERULUS.-'Kock. 



Picus querulus, Bonap. Synop. p. 46. 



This new species I first discovered in the pine woods of North 

 Carolina. The singularity of its voice, which greatly resembles 

 the chirping of young nestlings, and the red streak on the side 

 of its head, suggested the specific name I have given it. It 

 also extends through South Carolina and Georgia, at least as 

 far as the Altamaha river. Observing the first specimen I 

 found to be so slightly marked with red, I suspected it to be 

 a young bird, or imperfect in its plumage ; but the great 

 numbers I afterwards shot satisfied me that this is a pecu- 

 liarity of the species. It appeared exceedingly restless, active, 

 and clamorous ; and everywhere I found its manners the 

 same. 



This bird seems to be an intermediate link between the 

 red-bellied and the hairy woodpecker, represented in Plates 

 VII. and IX. It has the back of the former, and the white 

 belly and spotted neck of the latter ; but wants the breadth 

 of red in both, and is less than either. A preserved specimen 

 has been deposited in the Museum of Philadelphia. 



This woodpecker is seven inches and a half long, and 

 thirteen broad ; the upper part of the head is black ; the 

 back barred with twelve white transversely semicircular lines, 

 and as many of black, alternately ; the cheeks and sides of 

 the neck are white ; whole lower parts the same ; from the 

 lower mandible, a list of black passes towards the shoulder of 

 the wing, where it is lost in small black spots on each side of 

 the breast ; the wings are black, spotted with white ; the four 

 middle tail-feathers, black; the rest white, spotted with black; 

 rump, black, variegated with white ; the vent, white, spotted 



