WOODPECKERS. 431 



and are very amusing to watch, being always in motion, and very noisy. They begin 

 rather low down on a tree, moving upwards by jumps, with a cry like the chatter of 

 a magpie to the time of our green woodpecker's laugh. Perhaps two or three will be 

 ascending one tree at the same time, trying the bark with incessant taps, and wrench- 

 ing open every likely crack with their powerful chisel-beaks. When they reach the 

 branches, they hold a sort of discussion of tremendous chatter; and then each takes 

 his own branch, and the bark here, being usually more decayed than on the stem, comes 

 down in showers. If you make any loud noise, or show yourself suddenly, all disap- 

 pear in a moment. Perhaps one or two may fly off, with a swift but laborious action 

 of the wings ; but the majority hide behind branches. In a minute or so, if all is 

 quiet, you will see a head peer out from behind some snag, and, alter looking around 

 and seeing nothing, a croak of satisfaction brings out two or three more heads ; but 

 not a body is seen till all the heads are perfectly satisfied of their safety. At last 

 they all come out, and chatter together most vociferously for a minute or two before 

 they go on feeding. Though apparently so wary, they rarely leave the tree they are 

 examining, even if fired at." 



To this group also belong our pileated woodpecker, or log-cock ( Ceoplilo&us pilea- 

 tus\ and the ' prince ' among the woodpeckers, as Linnaeus called the magnificent ivory- 

 billed woodpecker {Campephihis principalls). This is one of the largest and most 

 striking looking birds of the whole family. It is found in the heavily timbered 

 portions of our Southern States, especially those bordering the Mexican Gulf, but 

 being a solitary and extremely wary bird, and not numerous even in those regions which 

 may be regarded as its headquarters, it is rare in collections, and its habits are but 

 little known. A nearly allied species, named C. bairdi in honor of Prof. S. F. 

 Baird, is a native of Cuba ; and another related species, C. imperialis, the ' empe- 

 ror ' woodpecker, is found in the mountain-forests of Mexico and Guatemala. 



There has been great difference among authors as to the question whether the 

 woodpeckers are to be regarded as injurious or not, as both sides have had, and still 

 have, vigorous, and, as is too often the case, even fanatical advocates. The fact is, 

 that the question cannot be affirmed or denied in its generality ; for while one kind of 

 woodpecker may be injurious, another may be beneficial, and even the same species 

 maybe injurious during one part of the year and beneficial during the rest, or injurious 

 in one country and beneficial in another. Consequently, an author can scarcely adduce 

 a fact to prove one side, without his opponent producing equally incontestible evidence 

 for the opposite. The woodpeckers' digging holes in the trees is excused by their 

 friends, who say that they never attack a sound tree, and that by hastening the 

 destruction of already more or less rotten trees, they are decidedly beneficial ; but 

 there are undoubted cases where perfectly sound trees have been injured, though this 

 is the exception. Other species are charged with stealing berries; and some might 

 fancy that Melanerpes formicworus, which is famous for its acorn-storing propensities, 

 may do harm by depriving the hogs of their food, as in some parts of Europe they 

 are prosecuted on the plea that by eating the seeds of the forest trees they prevent the 

 forest from renewing itself. But these accusations are evidently insignificant com- 

 pared with the enormous number of insects which the woodpeckers destroy; for 

 insects, no doubt, are nearly in all cases their chief food. But not even this fact can be 

 scored unconditionally to their credit ; for they are justly charged with making no 

 discrimination between injurious and beneficial insects, as some species of wood- 

 peckers largely subsist upon ants, those great benefactors of the woods. We shall 



