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Show 258 PICID- E.- WOODPECKERS. 111. Picas villo8U8, ( Linn.), var. harriri, And.-- Harris's Woodpecker. The Harris's woodpecker is a more or less common summer resident of the mountains throughout Southern California, finding its home chiefly among the pine- forests. No. ^ 17 W t Sex. { Locality. cf jon. I Fort T> jon, Cal cf od. : Near Mount Whitney, Cal - Date. Collector. Aug. 8 ' H. W. Henabaw. Oct. 11 • Do. I 112. Picus pubescent, ( Linn.), var. gairdneri, Aud.- Gairdner's Woodpecker. The disproportion existing in the number of this bird in the interior region, as compared with the preceding species, is not observable in California, at least to anything like the same extent. In Northern California, Cooper appears to have found it not uncommon, and a similar experience was had by us the past season in the region south of San Francisco. In distribution it is not so boreal as the Harris's Woodpecker, and coincident with this difference we do not find it among the high mountains in California, save occasionally, but with the Nuttall's it resorts to the low districts, and frequents, to a great extent, the deciduous timber, especially the oaks. No. 1% 13fl 904 574 6W 736 Sex. cf Jun. 9 ad. 9 Inn. 9 jun. cf ad. 9 Locality. Santa Barbara, Cal . . . .. do Near Kernville, Cal .-%• Walker's Basin, Cal do Date. July 28 Jane 39 July 6 Oct 16 Nov. 10 Collector. H. " W. Henshaw. Da Do. Da Da 113. Picas nuttalli, Gambel.- Nuttall's Woodpecker. PiaunutaUi. Gambel, Pr. A. N. Sc., i, 1843,259 ( Loa Angeles, Cal.).- VToodh., Sitgr. Exp. Znli & Col. River, 1854 ( California).- Newb., P. R. R. Rep., vi. 1857,89.- Bd., B. N. A., 18M, 93.- Xantus, Proc. Phila. Acad.> Nat Sol, 1859,190.- Coop., B. Cal., 1,1870,378.- Bd.. B., and R., X. A. B., 11,1874,521. Piau scalar* var. nutaUi. Cones, Key N. A. B., 1872,193.- Nelson, Proc. Boat. So © . Nat. Hist., vol. xvii, 1875,3( 52 ( California). From the P. soolaris of the southern interior region and Mexico this bird appears sufficiently distinct. Though in general the two resemble each other, the points of discrepancy are yet sufficiently tangible and are not found to intergrade. The relationship of the P. var. luoasanus of Cape Saint Lucas seems to be with soolaris, and is, I think, to be considered with that bird as distinct from nuttalli. Considerable differences exist, I think, in the habits of soolaris and nuttalli, though in birds like the Woodpeckers, where general family characteristics are to be seen in every species, it is not easy to emphasize these in such manner as to make them very apparent to others, though they may be evident enough in the field. The notes, especially as I have heard them, differ totally in character. Those of soo-lar% 8 are quite like the usual ones of the well- known pubesoens. No such similarity can be traced in the nuttalli. The usual notes of this species consist of a series of load, rattling notes, much prolonged, and can be compared with no other Woodpeoker with which I am acquainted. This Woodpecker is a bird particularly of the oak- groves, and ranges from the lower valleys up into the mountains to a height of at least 6,000 feet, where, near Fort Tejon, I found it fairly numerous among the pines; this being the only locality where I found it among the conifers. P. scolans, on the other hand, inhabits the low, hot valleyfl of the interior, being most partial to the mesquite- thickets. It is never, I believe, at least in Arizona, round in the mountains nor among the pines, and rarely among the oaks, and though I have frequently seen it in places where it would easily have found the surroundings if so minded. The Nuttall's Woodpecker is pretty strictly confined to California, barely reaching into Oregon on the north, and limited in range eastward by the western slope of the Sierras. It appears to be most numerous in the valleys of the Coast range, though I found it quite common at Fort Tejon, and in October secured specimens at Keruville. |