MELANERPES ERYTHROCEPHALUS. 
229 
I have found the Red-bellied Woodpeckers but once in Pennsylvania, that was on 
the second of October, 1875, at Watsontown. They occur in Southern New England and, 
as rare stragglers, in Western Massachusetts. I think those that pass the summer north 
of the Carolinas must arrive late in the season and depart early. 
GENUS III. MELANERPES. THE RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS. 
Gen. Ch. Sternum, twice as wide as theheiyht of the keel. Maryinal indentations, deep, allleiny equal in depth to the 
heiyht of the keel. Posterior border of sternum, emaryinale. Manubrium, very small. Terminal hook of scapula, anyled 
on the upper and lower sides. Tonyue, provided with extensible sheath, and the cerato-hyals are elonyaled, extendiny around 
the back of the skull as far, at least, as the orbit of the eye. Proventriculus, small. Stomach, somewhat muscular. Salivary 
ylands, quite well developed. Upper mandible, sliyhily curved. 
Members of this genus are marked on the head with scarlet but are not transversely banded above or below. The tail 
feathers are quite acuminate. The hind toe exceeds one half the length of the outer which is projected backward. There 
is but one species within our limits. 
MELANERPES ERYTHROCEPHALUS. 
Red-headed Woodpecker. 
Melanerpes erythrocephalus Swainson, F. Bor. Am., II; 1831, 310. 
DESCRIPTION 
Sp. Ch. Form, robust. Size, large. 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. The salivary gland which is a hollow cylinder, lies along the maxillary bone and 
tongue; it measures about ‘10 in diameter by '85 in length. There are no laryngeal muscles, excepting the sterno-trachealis 
which is stout. The tympaniform membrane is present and although there is an os transversale, yet it does not support a 
semilunar membrane. The oesophagus is without dilatation and opens into a very small proventriculus which measures 
about "20 in external diameter. The gastric glands are simple, very small and placed in a zonular band which measures 
about ’50 in width. The stomach is rather globular in form with very muscular walls that measure - 30 in thickness, and 
the lining membrane is rugose. The fold of the duodenum is quite long and incloses a small, narrow pancreas. The spleen 
is an elliptical body lying almost entirely on the proventriculus. The left lobe of the liver is only about one half as large as 
the right. 
Color. Adult. Head all around, including nape, chin, throat, and upper breast, scarlet; the latter, narrowly banded 
with black. Basal half of wings, whole of primaries, and tail, black, with bluish reflections. Terminal half of secondaries, 
rump, upper tail coverts, tips of all, but central pair of tail feathers, outer web of outer pair, and under parts, including 
under wing and tail coverts, white, with the abdomen tinged with yellowish. Bill, bluish, black at tip. Feet, greenish- 
brown. 
Youny. There is no scarlet on the head or breast, excepting occasionally a few stray feathers; this color being replaced 
by dusky, overwashed above by yellowish-rufous and grayish, and streaked below by the same. The black feathers of the 
back and wings, including the primaries, are edged with grayish and the white is barred with rather wide bands of black. 
The tail is similar to that of the adult but the white markings are not as wide. The white beneath is overwashed with 
yellowish-rufous, and streaked on the sides and flanks with dusky. Bill, wholly black. 
Nestlinys. Similar to the young, but there is more yellowish-rufous above and it even extends over the back, and the 
dusky stripes below are more numerous. Sexes, similar in all stages. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
There is little, or no, variation in plumage in the adult, but one now before me has the scarlet of the head tinged with 
yellow, and one, a fully adult male procured at Williamsport in spring, presents a remarkable character for the feathers 
directly beneath the eye are grayish in color and greatly elongated, measuring about '60 in length. The young vary con¬ 
siderably more than the adult, the main difference being in a greater or less amount of black above and below. Readily 
known from all others by the description as given. Distributed in summer throughout the Eastern Section of the United 
States, rare in Northern New England. Winters in the Middle and Southern Portions, some remaining as far north as 
Pennsylvania. 
