52 



GOLD-WINGED WOODPECKER. 



a strip of black, an inch in length, passes down each side of the 

 throat, and a lunated spot, of a vivid blood red, covers the hind 

 head, its two points reaching within half an inch of each eye; the 

 sides of the neck, below this, incline to a bluish grey; throat and 

 chin a very light cinnamon or fawn color ; the breast is ornamented 

 with a broad crescent of deep black; the belly and vent white, 

 tinged with yellow, and scattered with innumerable round spots of 

 black, every feather having a distinct central spot, those on the 

 thighs and vent being heart-shaped and largest; the lower or inner 

 side of the wing and tail, shafts of all the larger feathers, and in- 

 deed of almost every feather, are of a beautiful golden yellow; that 

 on the shafts of the primaries being very distinguishable even when 

 the wings are shut; the rump is white, and remarkably prominent; 

 the tail-coverts white, and curiously serrated with black; upper side 

 of the tail and the tip below black, edged with light loose filaments 

 of a cream color, the two exterior feathers serrated with whitish; 

 shafts black towards the tips, the two middle ones nearly wholly 

 so ; bill an inch and a half long, of a dusky horn color, somewhat 

 bent, ridged only on the top, tapering, but not to a point, that being 

 a little wedge-formed; legs and feet light blue; iris of the eye hazel; 

 length twelve inches, extent twenty. The female differs from the 

 male chiefly in the greater obscurity of the fine colors, and in want- 

 ing the black mustaches on each side of the throat. This descrip- 

 tion, as well as the drawing, was taken from a very beautiful and 

 perfect specimen. 



Tho this species, generally speaking, is migratory, yet they 

 often remain with us in Pennsylvania during the whole winter. 

 They also inhabit the continent of North America from Hudson's 

 Bay to Georgia ; and have been found by voyagers on the north- 

 west coast of America. They arrive at Hudson's Bay in April, and 

 leave it in September. Mr. Hearne however informs us, that " the 

 Gold-winged Woodpecker is almost the only species of Wood- 

 pecker that winters near Hudson's Bay." The natives there call 



