180 The Canadian Woodj^ecJcers, 



the Southern countries in the month of October, and return again in May. 

 It is said that while upon their migrations they travel during the night and 

 rest and feed during the day, resuming their journey again about sunset. 



Pious aukatus, (Linn.) — The Golden-wixged Woodpecker or 



HiGH-HOLDEK. 



Specific Characters. — Upper parts greyish, and brownish spotted, 

 with black ; lower parts whitish, and yellowish spotted with 

 black; a large lohite spot on the rump; a crescent shaped 

 patch of black on the breast. Length, 123/3 > width, 16. — 

 Inhabits the United States and British Provinces. The specific 

 name is from the Latin, {Aiiratus,) gilded, or of a golden 

 colour. 



This very beautiful bird is common in the edges of the woods or in those 

 fields which are not much frequented, and where there may be a quantity of 

 old trees lying on the ground, or dead ones still standing. In such places there 

 are generally numbers of ant-hills, to the eggs of which he is particularly 

 partial. His food, however, varies with the season, and, as is the habit of 

 the Eed-headed Woodpecker, the young Indian corn, cherries, berries, and 

 other fruit, are freely partaken of when they are ripe, or otherwise suitable 

 to his palate. This bird feeds more on the ground and is more frequently 

 seen perching upon the branches of trees than the other species of Wood- 

 peckers. AMiile boring the holes in the trees for their nests, the male and 

 female work alternately, the one standing by and encouraging the other, and 

 then taking its place. Wilson states that he has seen a hole made by a pair 

 of these bu-ds which penetrated, first five inches straight forward, and then 

 downward more than twice that distance, through a solid black oak. The 

 female lays six white eggs, and when the young are hatched they crawl out 

 of the hole and take to the branches of the tree, where they are fed by the 

 parents. 



The Golden-wing is a very lively, active bird, and may be readily 



<r- distinguished by the half-moon shaped spot of black on the breast, or the 



large patch of white on the rump, most Conspicuously seen when the bird is 



on the wing and rising from the ground. It is rather common in Canada. 



Wilson gives the following account of their habits in confinement : — 



" In rambling through the woods one day, I happened to shoot one of 

 these birds, and wounded him slightly in the wing. Finding him in full 

 feather, seemingly but little hurt, I took him home, and put him into a large 

 cage, made of willows, intending to keep him in my own room, that we might 

 become better acquainted. As soon as he found himself enclosed on all 

 sides, he lost no time in idle fluttering, but throwing himself against the bars 

 of the cage, began instantly to demolish the Avillows, battering them with 

 great vehemence, and uttering a loud, piteous khid of cackling, similar to 

 that of a hen when she is alarmed and takes to wing. Poor Baron Trenck 

 never labored with more eager diligence at the walls of his prison, than this 



