124 



RED- HE A DED WO ODPE CKER. 



for a good many years been very rare in Massachu- 

 setts; and therefore when, during the freshness of my 

 ornithological researches, I went to Washington for a 

 month's visit, it was one of the things which I had 

 especially in mind, to make his acquaintance. But I 

 looked for him without success till, at the end of a fort- 

 night, I made a pilgrimage to Mount A^ernon. Here, 

 after visiting the grave and going over the house, as 

 every visitor does, I sauntered about the grounds, 

 thinking of the great man who used to do the same so 

 many years before, but all the while keeping my eyes 

 open for the present feathered inhabitants of the 

 sacred spot. Soon a bird darted by me and struck 

 against the trunk of an adjacent tree, and glancing up 

 quickly I beheld my much-sought Red-headed Wood- 

 pecker. How appropriately patriotic he looked at 

 the home of Washington, wearing the national colors, 

 red, white and blue! After this he became abundant 

 about the capital, so that I saw him often and took 

 much pleasure in his frolicsome ways." 



The Red-heads are found in various open oak woods 

 north of the city, at Mount Pleasant, about Freed- 

 men's Hospital, in Glenwood Cemetery, and often on 

 the heights above Florida Avenue; but they are wan- 

 dering, irregular birds and their presence in any par- 

 ticular locality cannot be depended upon. Out in the 

 country they are often noticed about old orchards. 



In spring they are the noisiest of drummers and 

 also have a loud, rattling call which proclaims their 

 presence, but in nesting time they are very quiet. 



The hole of the Red-head is often in a half-dead 

 tree, rather high up, and the eggs, 4 to 6, are laid on 

 the fine chips left by the bird carpenters. 



