PICID^ — THE WOODPECKERS. 499 



large river. It then flies in deep undulations, opening its wings at first to 

 their full extent, and nearly closing them to renew their impulse. The 

 transit from tree to tree is performed by a single sweep, as if the bird had 

 been swung in a curved line from the one to the other. 



Except during the love-season it never utters a sound when on the wing. 

 On alighting, or when, in ascending a tree, it leaps against the upper parts 

 of the trunk, its remarkable voice may be constantly heard in a clear, loud, 

 and rather plaintive tone, sometimes to the distance of lialf a mile, and 

 resembling the false high note of a clarionet. This may be represented by 

 the monosyllable pait thrice repeated. 



The food of this Woodpecker consists principally of beetles, larvse, and 

 large grubs. They are also especially fond of ripe wild grapes, which they 

 eat with great avidity, hanging by their claws to the vines, often in the 

 position of a Titmouse. They also eat ripe persimmons, hackberries, and 

 other fruit, but are not known to disturb standing corn nor the fruits of the 

 orchard. 



These birds attack decaying trees so energetically as often to cause them 

 to fall. So great is their strength, that Audubon has known one of them 

 to detach, at a single blow, a strip of bark eight inches long, and, by begin- 

 ning at the top branch of a dead tree, tear off the bark to the extent of 

 thirty feet in the course of a few hours, all the while sounding its loud 

 notes. 



Mr. Audubon further states that this species generally moves in pairs, that 

 the female is the least shy and the most clamorous, and that, except when 

 digging a hole for the reception of their eggs, they are not known to 

 excavate living trees, but only those attacked by worms. When wounded, 

 they seek the nearest tree, and ascend with great rapidity by successive hops. 

 When taken by the hand, they strike with great violence, and inflict severe 

 wounds with their bills and claws. 



Mr. Dresser states that tliese birds were found on the Brazos Pdver, and 

 also on tlie Trinity, where they were by no means rare. 



Wilson dwells at some length and with great force upon the great value 

 of these birds to our forests. They never injure sound trees, only those 

 diseased and infested with insects. The pine timber of the Southern States 

 is often destroyed, thousands of acres in a season, by the larvse of certain in- 

 sects. In Wilson's day this was noticeable in the vicinity of Georgetown, 

 S. C, and was attributed by him to the blind destruction of this and other 

 insect-eating birds. 



An egg of this species (Smith. Coll., No. 16,196) taken near Wilming- 

 ton, K C, by Mr. N. Giles, measures 1.35 inches in length by .95 of an 

 inch in breadth. It is of a highly polished porcelain whiteness, and is much 

 more oblong in shape and more pointed than are the eggs of Hylotomus 

 pileatus. 



