part i

. p. 338.

Adult Male. Plate CXXXI. Fig. 1.

Bill of moderate length, rather strong, compressed, acute; upper mandible slightly arched in its dorsal line, with acute edges, which are notched close to the declinate tip; lower mandible nearly straight along the back. Nostrils basal, oblong, half closed above by a membrane. The general form is rather slender. Feet longish, rather strong; tarsus compressed, anteriorly covered with a few long scutella, sharp behind; toes scutellate above, free; the outer and middle united to the second joint, claws arched, compressed, acute.

Plumage soft and rather blended. Wings of moderate length rounded, the first primary extremely short, the third and fourth longest. Tail rather long, even, of twelve broad rounded feathers.

Bill lemon-yellow, the tip brownish, in old birds the whole is yellow. Iris hazel. Feet pale brown. Upper part and sides of the head brownish-black, fading on the back of the neck; the upper parts in general, smoke-grey, tinged on the shoulders with brown. The wings and tail blackish-brown, with greyish edges; the first row of small wing-coverts tipped with pale-grey, and the end of the inner web of the outermost tail-feather, together with the tip of the next, white. An interrupted circle of three lines of white round the eye. Chin white, spotted with brownish-black. The under surface generally, including the wing-coverts, reddish-orange, fading on the abdomen into whitish.

Length 10 inches, extent of wings 14; bill along the ridge ¾, along the edge 11/12; tarsus 1-3/12, middle toe 1-3/12.

Adult Female. Plate CXXXI. Fig. 2.

The colours of the female are paler, but resemble those of the male. Her dimensions are a little less, the length varying from 9 to 10 inches.

Young Birds. Plate CXXXI. Fig. 3, 3, 3, 3, 3.

The young birds are spotted with blackish-brown on the fore-neck, breast, and sides, which are of a paler reddish tint; the upper parts have the shafts of the feathers whitish, and the bill is dark-brown. It is remarkable that all the Thrushes known to me which have the breast of a uniform tint when old, have it spotted when young, shewing that in their mode of colouring the different species of the genus agree in this respect at one period or other.

THE ROCK OR CHESTNUT OAK.

QUERCUS MONTANA, _Willd._ Sp. Pl. vol. iv. p. 440. _Pursh_, Flor. Amer. Sept. vol. ii. p. 634. _Mich._ Arbr. Forest. vol. i. p. 56. pl. 8.—MONŒCIA POLYANDRIA, _Linn._ AMENTACEÆ, _Juss._

This species of oak is distinguished by its obovate or oblong largely toothed or sinuate leaves, which are acuminate, and tapering at the base, of a deep shining green above, whitish and downy beneath. The cupule is hemispherical, with tuberculate scales; the acorn ovate. It grows to a great size, forming a fine ornament to our woods, and in open situations spreads abroad its branches to a great extent. The wood is valuable, and is much employed in the Western and Southern countries, where, as well as in some of the Middle Districts, it abounds. It prefers elevated situations, and generally occurs in dry gravelly soil.

THE THREE-TOED WOODPECKER.

_PICUS TRIDACTYLUS_, LINN.

PLATE CXXXII. MALE AND FEMALE.

This curious species of Woodpecker is found in the northern parts of the State of Massachusetts, and in all portions of Maine that are covered by forests of tall trees, in which it constantly resides. I saw a few in the Great Pine Forest of Pennsylvania, and my friend, the Rev. JOHN BACHMAN, observed four near the Falls of Niagara, about twelve years ago, and is of opinion that some may breed in the upper part of the State of New York.

It is a restlessly active bird, spending its time generally on the topmost branches of the tallest trees, without, however, confining itself to pines. Although it cannot be called shy, its habitual restlessness renders it difficult of approach. Its movements resemble those of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, but it is still more petulant than that bird. Like it, it will alight, climb along a branch, seek for insects there, and in a very few moments remove to another part of the same tree, or to another tree at more or less distance, thus spending the day in rambling over a large extent of ground. Its cries also somewhat resemble those of the species above mentioned, but are louder and more shrill, like those of some small quadruped suffering great pain. During the middle hours of the day it becomes silent, and often retires to some concealed place to rest a while. In the afternoon of warm days, it very frequently makes sorties after flying insects, which it seems to secure in the air with as much ease as the Red-headed Woodpecker. Besides insects, it also feeds on berries and other small fruits.

Its flight is rapid, gliding, and deeply undulated, as it shifts from one place to another. Now and then it will fly from a detached tree of a field to a considerable distance before it alights, emitting at every glide a loud shrill note. When alighted, the rolling tappings of its bill against a dead and dried branch are as sonorous as those of the Redhead. I never saw one on the ground, but I have not unfrequently met with them searching the decayed wood of a prostrate tree.

The nest of this species is generally bored in the body of a sound tree, near its first large branches. I observed no particular choice as to the timber, having seen it in oaks, pines, &c. The nest, like that of other allied species, is worked out by both sexes, and takes fully a week before it is completed, its usual depth being from twenty to twenty-four inches. It is smooth and broad at the bottom, although so narrow at its entrance as to appear scarcely sufficient to enable one of the birds to enter it. The eggs are from four to six, rather rounded, and pure white. Only one brood is raised in the season. The young follow their parents until autumn, when they separate and shift for themselves. They do not attain their full plumage until the second year.

The number of these Woodpeckers is greatly increased in the State of Maine during winter, by accessions from Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Labrador, in all which countries I have found the species in summer, but where, if I am rightly informed, few remain during severe winters.

PICUS TRIDACTYLUS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 177.—_Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 243.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 46.

PICUS (APTERNUS) ARCTICUS, _Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor.-Amer. part ii . p. 311.

NORTHERN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER, PICUS TRIDACTYLUS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Amer. Ornith. vol. ii. pl. 14. fig. 2.—_Nuttall_, Manual,