70 BIRDS-NESTING. 



along it as do other more genuine woodpeckers. 

 "Highhole," "highholder" and " woodwall" (of which 

 last I have a note, but no location) describe the 

 bird's home, of course ; and " sapsucker " states the 

 popular idea that that is what all woodpeckers are 

 doing when they move about tree-trunks in search of 

 insect food. What "yaffle," "wcodquoi" and "fid- 

 dler" signify, I have no idea. Concerning "clape" 

 Dr. DeKay remarks : " Some provincial word in- 

 troduced by the early English colonists." As for 

 the southern word, "woodpecker-lark," it of course 

 refers to the black crescent upon the breast, which 

 reminds one of the similar badge of the meadow- 

 lark ; but it perpetuates an error, for that handsome 

 bird is not a lark at all, but a starling — Sturnella 

 magna. Its practice of laying additional eggs when 

 the first set is removed gives the bird the name of 

 "wild hen" among the people of Maine, according 

 to Mr. Manly Hardy. 



" Hittock," though now a Canadian term, appears 

 to have been handed down from the Delaware Indians, 

 since Heckewelder says that hitluck was the Lenni- 

 Lenape word for tree, and also that the Swedes, who 

 colonized the loAver Delaware valley in the seven- 

 teenth century, gave the name "tree-peckers " to this 

 whole race of birds. In the name "shad-spirit" is 



