PICID.E — THE WOODPECKERS. 577 



though not always, at a considerable height from the ground. He adds that 

 he has frequently known them to fix on tlie trunk of an old apple-tree, at a 

 heiglit not more than six feet from the root. He also mentions as quite sur- 

 prising the sagacity of this bird in discovering, under a sound bark, a hollow 

 limb or trunk of a tree, and its perseverance in perforating it for purposes of 

 incubation. The male and female alternately relieve and encourage each other 

 by mutual caresses, renewing their labors for several days, till the object is 

 attained, and the place rendered sufficiently capacious, convenient, and secure. 

 They are often so extremely intent upon their work as to be heard at their 

 labor till a very late hour in the night. Wilson mentions one instance where 

 he knew a pair to dig first five inches straight forward, and then downward 

 more than twice that distance, into a solid black-oak. They carry in no 

 materials for their nest, the soft chips and dust of the wood serving for this 

 purpose. The female lays six white eggs, almost transparent, very thick at the 

 greater end, and tapering suddenly to the other. The young soon leave the 

 nest, climbing to the higher branches, where they are fed by their parents. 



According to Mr. Audubon this Woodpecker rears two broods in a season, 

 the usual number of eggs being six. In one instance, however, Mr. MacCul- 

 loch, quoted by Audubon, speaks of having found a nest in a rotten stump, 

 which contained no less than eighteen young birds, of various ages, and at 

 least two eggs not quite hatched. It is not improbable that, in cases where 

 the number of eggs exceeds seven or eight, more females than one have con- 

 tributed to the number. In one instance, upon sawing off the decayed top 

 of an old tree, in which these birds had a nest, twelve eggs were found. 

 These were not molested, but, on visiting the place a few days after, I found 

 the excavation to have been deepened from eighteen to twenty -four inches. 



Mr. C. S. Paine, of Randolph, Vt, writing in October, 1860, furnishes some 

 interesting observations made in regard to these birds in the central part of 

 that State. He says, " This Woodpecker is very common, and makes its ap- 

 pearance about the 20th of April. Between the 1st and the 15th of May it 

 usually commences boring a hole for the nest, and deposits its eggs the last 

 of May or the first of June." He found three nests that year, all of which 

 were in old stumps on the banks of a small stream. Each nest contained 

 seven eggs. The boy who took tliem out was able to do so without any cut- 

 ting, and found them at the depth of his elbow. In another nest there ^vere 

 but tliree eggs when first discovered. The limb was cut down nearly to a 

 level with the eggs, which were taken. The next day the nest liad been 

 dee]:)ened a whole foot and another egg deposited. Mr. Paine has never 

 known them go into thick woods to breed, but they seem rather to pre- 

 fer the edges of woods. He has ncAcr known one to breed in an old cavity, 

 but in one instance a pair selected a partially decayed stump for their opera- 

 tions. When they are disturbed, they sometimes tly around their nests, utter- 

 ing shrill, squeaking notes, occasionally intermixing with them guttural or 

 gurgling tones. 



VOL. 11. 73 



