124 Merriam on Birds of Lewis County , New York . 
this State from the South in the early part of May, and, after breeding, 
leaves us again in September ; occasionally a few remain during the win- 
ter.” * Hence it is not to be wondered at that when, during the winter of 
1871 - 72, 1 mentioned to one of our leading ornithologists the fact of their 
wintering with us in Northern New York, my statement was received 
with surprise and, as I thought, no little incredulity. I therefore wrote 
to my friend, Mr. C. L. Bagg, asking him to send me a lot of Red-headed 
Woodpeckers as soon as possible, and in a week’s time received a box con- 
taining over twenty specimens, — all killed in Lewis County and when 
the snow was three feet deep ! This was proof positive. Notes kept by Mr. 
Bagg and myself during the past six years show that they were abundant 
here during the winters of 1871 - 72, 1873 - 74, 1875 - 76, and 1877 - 78 ; 
while they were rare or did not occur at all during the winters of 1872 - 73 
and 1876- 77. Their absence was in no way governed by the severity of 
the winters, but entirely dependent upon the absence of the usual supply 
of beechnuts. While the greater portion of nuts fall to the ground and 
are buried beneath the snow far beyond the reach of the Woodpeckers, 
yet enough remain on the trees all winter to furnish abundant subsistence 
for those species which feed on them. 
I have previously called attention to the fact that in this locality “ they 
subsist almost exclusively on beechnuts, of which evidently they are ex- 
tremely fond, eating them, apparently with equal relish, whether green or 
fully matured. It is truly a beautiful sight to watch these magnificent 
birds, together with their equally abundant cousins, the Yellow-bellied 
Woodpeckers ( Sphyrapicus varius), creeping about, after the manner of the 
Warblers, among the small branches and twigs, which bend low with their 
weight while picking and husking the tender nuts, — the bright crimson 
of the head, neck, and breast, the glossy blue-black back and creamy- white 
belly, together with the scarcely less striking colors of their yellow-bellied 
companions, contrast handsomely with the deep green foliage,” * — a scene 
suggestive of the oft-dreamed-of avian paradise amidst the rich verdure 
of the tropics rather than the cold forests bordering the Canadian Fauna. 
Then, as they spread their beautiful wings and in graceful undulatory 
flight pass from wood to wood, their bright plumage glistening in the sun, 
and, alighting on the farther side of some convenient tree, peep cautiously 
about to see if intruders are near, one is so wrapped in admiration that he 
wishes the days of sorcery and magic had not yet gone, that he might be 
transformed into one of these splendid birds. 
They are suspicious creatures, and if danger threatens, utter a hoarse 
rattling cry, not at all in harmony with their pretty exterior, and are off 
in an instant. If slowly and stealthily approached, they sometimes hesi- 
* Ornithology of New York, p. 185, 1844. 
t Birds of Connecticut, p. 66, 1877. 
