Birds of Bristol County .Mass. 
F. W. Andros. 
Melanerpes erythrocephalus (Linn.), Red- 
headed Woodpecker. Transient. 
O.&O. XII. Sept. 1887 p.139 
/Viffcv ^tryUL- AA-zc<trl 
On Jan. 30, a Red-headed Woodpecker ( me- 
l anerpes erythrocephalus') . was seen by a young 
friend of mine while riding from here to Fox- 
boro. 
0.& O. XIII. July. 1888 p. 104 
General Notes. 
Bird Notes from Springff ield, Mass. 
Robert O. Morris. 
Mr. E. H. Barney is devoting several acres of land near his home in the 
suburbs of Springfield to the cultivation of numerous kinds of trees and 
shrubs that long retain their seeds, hoping thereby to attract various kinds 
of birds, that he and others may study their habits. To this place, early 
in the autumn, a flock of about fifty Red-headed Woodpeckers (Melanerpes 
erythrocephalus) came and remained several days. Heretofore these birds 
have not been observed here, except occasionally singly or, more rarely, in 
pairs. Auk XII. Jan. 1898 p; 88 
A > 
vienerai motes. 
of Central Berkshire.. 
y, Mass. era TT. AIW . & tiMilWkiA 
16. Melanerpes erythrocephalus. 
seen in Stockbridge, May 30, 1892. 
Red-headed Woodpecker. — One 
Auk XII. Jan. 1895 p. 88 
-nu „ , Auk > XIIr > July, 1890. 
The Redheaded Woodpecker in Eastern Massachusetts. — It is so 
seldom that a Red-headed Woodpecker ( Melanerpes erythrocephalus') is 
seen in eastern Massachusetts that its occurrence is worthy of note. On 
Sunday noon, March 8, 1896, while taking a walk through a grove of 
mixed elm, maple and pine trees in the section of Boston known as 
Dorchester, I came across a beautiful bird of this species, lazily climbing 
about on a partially decayed stump and apparently searching for food. 
The bird was very tame, allowing me to follow it closely as it flew from 
tree to tree and to approach to within ten or fifteen yards on several 
occasions. After watching it for some fifteen minutes and thinking 
from its tameness and from its partiality to a particular stump that it 
might be wintering in the locality I quietly withdrew. A thorough 
search of the woods the next morning failed to discover the bird again 
and I concluded it was probably a temporary visitor. 
On May 8, 1896, while walking early in the morning in Dorchester 
District, my attention was attracted by the loud calling of a Red-headed 
Woodpecker. After a short search the bird was located in a clump of 
tall oak trees and was shot. It proved to be a male in full plumage, and 
was very fat. This is probably the same bird noticed by me on March 8, 
1896, as recorded above, as it was shot within one hundred yards of where 
it was previously observed. 
I have seen this species in Massachusetts only once before, the first 
time being on May 19, 1878. — Foster II. Brackett, Boston , Mass. 
