PICID.E — THE WOODPECKERS. 541 



the beginning of April, after which period he never observed it in those dis- 

 tricts. A few only, according to the same authority, breed in Kentucky, but 

 the greater number migrate to the more northern parts of the Union. He 

 describes it, in its habits, as preferring the interior of the forest during the 

 spring and summer, seldom showing itself near the habitation of man at 

 those seasons. It generally, he adds, bores its nest at a considerable height, 

 and usually in the trunk of an undecayed tree, immediately beneath a large 

 brancli, and on its southern side. The hole is worked out by the male as well 

 as the female, in the manner followed by the other species, and to the depth 

 of from fifteen to twenty-four inches. Tlie aperture is just large enough to 

 admit the birds, but the whole widens gradually towards the bottom, where 

 it is large and roomy. The eggs, which are from four to six, and pure white, 

 with a slight blush, are deposited on the chips without any nest. The 

 young seldom leave the hole until they are fully fledged. 



Mr. Audubon elsewhere speaks of having found this species extremely 

 abundant in the upper parts of the State of Maine and in the Provinces of 

 Nova Scotia and New Brunswick ; but he saw none in Newfoundland or 

 Labrador. 



For my specimens of the eggs of this species and valuable information as 

 to its habits, I am indebted to Mr. Charles S. Paine, of East Bethel, Vt., 

 in which State it seems to be quite abundant. In a letter written in the 

 summer of 1860, he furnishes the results of his observations relative to their 

 habits, so far as they have fallen under his notice. 



The Yellow-bellied Woodpeckers reach the central and northern parts of 

 that State about the 10th of April. They soon make their presence known 

 there by their loud and continued drumming, rather than tapping, on the 

 trunks and larger branches of decaying trees. Of this drumming they seem 

 to be peculiarly fond, especially where they can produce a loud ringing 

 sound. Sometimes, when Mr. Paine had been engaged in the process of pre- 

 paring maple sugar, he had left a few empty wooden buckets hanging on the 

 branches of trees, until needed for use. Upon these the bird will drum, 

 apparently with the greatest delight. At times they would experiment upon 

 the tin pails, but, being unable to obtain good standing-ground, they did not 

 follow it up. On such occasions their drumming did not appear to be 

 done in tlie pursuit of worms or food, but was very evidently for their own 

 entertainment, or in a spirit of rivalry one with another, as if seeking to 

 please their mates. When two male birds meet, they pursue each other 

 through the woods with great clamor. They have a loud, distinct, and lively 

 note, but their favorite music appears to be this drumming. They mate and 

 commence the excavation of their nests the last week in April. Their eggs 

 are usually deposited, in this section, somewhere between the 20th of May 

 and the first of June. The excavations for their nests are usually made in 

 the tops of large decaying trees. He adds that he found four or five of 

 these nests that year. The eggs of one of these he was able to obtain with- 



