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CENTURUS CAR0L1NUS. 
The Yellow-bellied Woodpeckers reach their summer homes about the first of May, 
deposit their eggs, as shown above, about the second week in June, the young make their 
appearance in August, and accompany their parents for some time. They all leave for the 
south by the first of November, migrating quite leisurely. These Woodpeckers are ex¬ 
tremely abundant in the cypress and other swamps which border the rivers of Florida but 
are occasionally found in the piney woods. They keep well up in the tops of the tail trees 
but their peculiar notes always betray their presence as they are seldom quiet, constantly 
calling to one another for they appear to be fond of company and it is not usual to find one 
unaccompanied by either some of its own species or by other members of the family; thus 
flocks of Woodpeckers are not uncommon in this section. 
As we might naturally expect from the peculiar structure of their tongues, the food 
of these Woodpeckers differs considerably from that of those species, the lingual organs of 
which are provided with barbs. The Yellow-bellied Woodpeckers being unable to readily 
extract the larvae of the boring beetles from the holes in which they lurk, eat largely of 
other insects and are, in fact, quite expert flycatchers, taking their food on the wing very 
easily. They are also fond of small fruits and I have even taken dried barberries from their 
stomachs. Of all the small Woodpeckers which are called Sap-suckers, these are the most 
deserving of the name for they will not only drink the juices of trees but will also eat the 
inner bark; in short, in the autumn it is exceedingly difficult to find one which has not been 
indulging in this practice. They drill small holes in the forest, as well as the fruit, trees 
in order to obtain their favorite food but as these orifices are very small, I do not see that 
they are especially injurious to the trees and, even if this were the case, the slight dam¬ 
age which these birds occasion is more than counterbalanced by the good which they do 
in destroying multitudes of pernicious insects and therefore, we may safely consider the 
Yellow-bellied Woodpeckers as useful birds. 
GENUS I. CENTURUS. THE RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS. 
Gen. Ch. Sternum, narrow, not as wide as the height of the keel. Marginal indentations, deep, all being equal in depth 
to the height of the keel. Manubrium, not very large. Terminal hook of scapula, angled on the upper and lower sides. 
Tongue, provided with extensible sheath, and the cerato-hyals are elongated, extending around the back of the skull as far, at 
least, as the orbit of the eye. Proventriculus, not enlarged. Salivary glands, quite well developed. Upper mandible, slight¬ 
ly curved. 
Members of this genus are marked on the top of the head with scarlet and transversely banded above. The tail feath¬ 
ers are quite acuminate. The hind toe is not half the length of the outer which is projected backward. There is but one 
species within our limits. 
CENTURUS CAROLINUS. 
Red-bellied Woodpecker. 
Centurus Carolinus Bon, List; 1838. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp. Cn. Form, robust. Size, medium. Sternum, not very stout. Tongue, long, narrow, not very thin and horny at 
the tip which is pointed and provided with barbs for three fourths of the terminal portion. The extensible sheath occupies 
about one half the length of the tongue. 
Color. Adult male. Above, including the wings and tail, lustrous-black with the feathers of the back, wings, and 
rump crossed by bands of white, excepting terminal third of the primaries which are tipped with the same color. Upper tail 
