RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. 573 



veys the extensive landscape, and almost with the same 

 reverberating sound as his blows, at intervals, he utters 

 a loud and solitary 'cur'rh in a tone as solemn as the 

 tolling of the Campanero ; he thus hearkens, as it were, 

 to the shrill echoes of his own voice, and for an hour at a 

 time, seems alone employed in contemplating, in cher- 

 ished solitude and security, the beauties and blessings 

 of the rising day. 



The nest, early in April, is usually made in some lofty 

 branch ; and in this necessary labor both the sexes unite 

 to dig out a circular cavity for the purpose, sometimes 

 out of the solid wood, but more commonly into a hollow 

 limb. The eggs, about 5, are white, and the young 

 appear towards the close of May or early in June, climb- 

 ing out upon the higher branches of the tree, where they 

 are fed and reared until able to fly, though in the mean 

 time from their exposure they often fall a prey to prowl- 

 ing Hawks. They probably raise two broods in the 

 season ; and may be considered, like the rest of their 

 insect-devouring fraternity, as useful scavengers for the 

 protection of the forest, their attacks, as might be rea- 

 sonably expected, being always confined to decaying 

 trees, which alone afford the prey for which they probe. 



This species is about 10^ inches in length, and about 17 in alar 

 extent. The vent and femorals are dull- white, marked in their 

 centres with heart and arrow shaped spots of blackish. Wings and 

 back crossed with numerous bars of black and white ; rump 

 white, spotted with black. Tail of 10 feathers, the middle ones 

 black, their interior vanes white, crossed with diagonal spots of 

 black ; the next four feathers on each side are black, the outer edges 

 of the exterior ones barred with black and white, the extremities, 

 except the outer feathers, are black, sometimes touched with yel- 

 lowish white. Legs bluish-green. Bill bluish-black. Irides red. 



