THE GOLDEN-WINGED WOODPECKER. 
287 
to repair the injury were not attended by the result that we desired. Upon 
a subsequent visit the whole brood was found cold and dead ; and if the 
parent birds had ever re-entered their prostrate nest, it was merely to 
witness the devastation we had wrought, and then to abandon it for ever.” 
Gold-winged Woodpecker, Ficus auratus, Wils. Amer. Orn,, vol.ii. p. 45. 
Pious auratus, Bonap. Syn., p. 44. 
Colaptes auratus, Golden-shafted Woodpecker, Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer., 
vol. ii. p. 314. 
Flicker or Golden-winged Woodpecker, Nutt. Man., vol. i. p. 561. 
Golden-winged Woodpecker, Picus auratus , Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. i. p. 191 ; 
vol. v. p. 540. 
Male, 12i, 16. 
Breeds from Texas to Nova Scotia, and the Fur Countries. Generally 
distributed in the United States. Eastern bases of Rocky Mountains. 
Extremely common. Resident in the Southern States. 
Adult Male. 
Bill slightly arched, strong, nearly as long as the head, compressed at the 
tip. which is a little abrupt ; upper mandible convex on the sides, with 
acute, overlapping edges ; lower mandible with acute, inflected edges, the 
dorsal outline nearly straight, a little convex towards the end. Nostrils 
basal, lateral, oval, partly covered by recumbent feathers. Head of ordinary 
size. Neck shortish. Body ovate. Feet short, rather robust; tarsus scu- 
tellate before, compressed ; two toes before, and two behind, scutellate 
above ; claws compressed, arched, acute. 
Plumage rather compact and imbricated, blended on the head aud neck. 
Wings longish, the third aud fourth quills longest, the second much shorter, 
the first very small. Tail of ordinary length, rounded, consisting of ten 
broad feathers, worn to an elongated tip by being rubbed against the bark 
of trees. 
Bill brown above and at the tip, light blue beneath. Iris light brown. 
Feet greyish-blue. Upper part of the head and hind neck light purplish- 
grey; a transverse band of scarlet on the lower part of the occiput. Upper 
parts generally light greenish-brown, spotted with black; the lower back 
white, the tail-coverts of the same colour, spotted with black. Primaries 
brownish-black, their shafts, as are those of all the large feathers, orange. 
Tail brownish-black. Sides of the head and fore neck light brownish-red, 
tinged with grey. A black streak along each side of the throat, and a 
lunated patch of the same across the fore part of the breast. The rest of 
the breast reddish-white, spotted with black, as are the lighter coloured 
abdomen and under tail-coverts. Under surface of the wings and tail of a 
fine rich yellow. 
