53 
Interior of British North America. 
head was remarkably well done, retaining in perfection all the 
features of life. He would not give it me, as it was a great 
charm, being hung up in the lodge always when “ medicine was 
being made” (which medicine-making consists in a great amount 
of singing, drumming, and certain mysterious operations) for 
the benefit of his wife, who had been injured many years before 
when dressing a buffalo-robe, and had never entirely recovered 
from the accident. The Indian's name was Ousa-wanaskie'' (the 
Yellow Otter). He was very chary of the specimen, and it was 
only with great difficulty that I could induce him to lend it me 
while I made a coloured drawing of its head, as I was then 
doubtful whether I should meet with another. When done, 
however, he was much delighted with the drawing, and took it 
to show to his wife and family, whom it was very amusing to 
watch as they compared the original and the representation. 
This they deemed highly satisfactory, and it served me very well 
in lieu of a preserved skin. The Pileated Woodpecker has not 
been obtained from the neighbourhood of Hudson's Bay, and on 
the Mackenzie is noted as rare. It is known to the inland Cree 
Indians as “ Ma-maou.'' 
23. Melanerpes torquatus. 
Lewis's Woodpecker, being a western bird, had not been found 
in British territory before my specimen noted in a former paper 
in f The Ibis ' (vol. iv. p. 3). The locality was on Bow Biver, at 
the eastern base of the Bocky Mountains ; but I am unable to 
add any particulars concerning the species, having only obtained 
that one specimen. Melanerpes erythrocephalus of the ‘Fauna 
Bor.-Am/ has been found on the Upper Missouri, but I did 
not meet with it. 
24. COLAPTES AURATUS. 
Besides the specimen noted in my original paper (‘ Ibis/ vol. 
iv. p. 3), from Hudson's Bay, others have been presented to the 
Smithsonian Institution, from Bed Biver Settlement, and Nelson 
Biver between Hudson's Bay and Lake Winipeg, while it is given 
by Mr. Bernard Boss as common as far north on the Mackenzie 
as the Arctic Circle. The Yellow-winged Woodpecker is among 
the earliest arrivals from the south, whence it comes in large 
