104 VERMONT BIllDS. 



PiCUS AUKATUS, LillU. 



Golden-u-inyed Woodj)ecker, 



This is one of the most useful birds in this section of 

 country. By some people it is ciillocl "the Large Urown 

 AVoodcock," but it is not the l)ird known in the Southern 

 States by this name, and no doubt that it truly belongs to 

 the family of woodpeckers. It is quite a favorite bird 

 with the hop-growers. It Avatc-hes the hop-yards for what 

 is called the hop-worm, which is almost sure to destroy 

 the vines unless some means are used to prevent. Said 

 Mr. Hay Davis, an extensive hop-raiser, of Troy, Vt., 

 '♦This Inrd is a very early riser; as soon as any daylight 

 appears it visits the hop-yard and examines each hill, list- 

 ens and looks carefully, and if it suspects a worm it digs, 

 at times, several inches into the hill, and as soon as it 

 reaches the worm it spears it and carries it away to its 

 young ; and so it keeps at work i)rotecting our hop-yards." 



Its bill is long, hard, and wedge-shaped ; its tongue is 

 long and round, and may be extended three or four inch- 

 es beyond the end of its bill. The end is of a horny 

 substance, with teeth on each side like the barbs of a fish- 

 hook. Its bill ansAvers for a chisel to cut holes iu trees 

 iu search for insects ; as soon as it has opened a space 

 upon one, large enough to receive it, it is pierced with its 

 tongue. We have an account of one that chiseled to "the 

 center of a branch of a young, tough, white oak tree, 

 from three to five inches in circumference, and there found 

 that destructive insect, the borer. They are often heard 

 pecking upon old dead trees, in pursuit of the larvae of 

 insects that usually exist between the bark and wood of 

 trees. Many think they do much damage to their apple- 

 trees, hence, kill all they can, but instead of injuring the 

 trees they are a noble protector against the borer. 



Spizella socialis, Bonap. 

 The House or Chipping Sparrow. 



This is a real domestic bird. I once knew a family of 



