82 PICIDyE : WOODPECKERS. 



and its breeding in New England is one of the most 

 orderly events of its desultory existence. The mode of 

 nesting is not peculiar, a hole being excavated by the 

 joint labor of the pair, generally in decayed wood so soft 

 as to be readily chiselled out. A favorite situation is 

 the blasted top of a tree, at a considerable elevation ; 

 but its choice wavers with its whim, like all the rest of 

 its actions, and it will often nest in a stub or even a 

 fence-post. The eggs are usually four, five, or six in 

 number, of characteristic whiteness and smoothness, 

 measuring about i.oo by 0.80, but too variable in this 

 respect to be identified either by size or shape. The 

 diet of the bird is by no means confined to grubs dug 

 out of the bark ; it catches insects on the wing with 

 some address ; and is fond of acorns, beech-nuts, and 

 other small fruits, hard or soft, often laying the pro- 

 ducts of the orchard and garden under contribution by 

 way of variety. 



GOLDEN-WINGED WOODPECKER; FLICKER. 



COLAPTES AURATUS {L.) SzV. 



Chars. Back, wing-coverts and inner quills olive-brown, closely 

 barred with black : quills and tail-feathers black, with golden- 

 yellow shafts and under surfaces. Rump, snowy white ; 

 crown and nape, ash, with a scarlet band ; chin and throat, lilac- 

 brown ; a large black shield on the breast ; under parts with 

 numberless circular black spots ; tinged on the belly with yel- 

 low, on the sides with creamy-brown. Male, with black max- 

 illary patches, wanting in the female. Length, 12.00-13.00; 

 extent, 18.00-20.00; wing, 5.75-6.25; tail, 4.50. 



Last but not least of its interesting tribe comes this 

 beautiful Woodpecker, so well known in New England 



