440 



TIII-; .\<ikrm-:k.\ i'ii.i-:\ ti-.d \\fXM)n-:cKKK. 



(livi"lo|>nicnt i)f tlic liyoiil Imuk-s with llicir muscular attaclum-iils. Thcsi- 

 extend backward from llic base of the t'Hiyue over aivl around tlu- skull, 

 nearly to the iii)i)er base ttf the bird's bill again. 



Tiie great forest fires which have ravaged our State ha\e proved a god- 

 seuil to the Woodpeckers, altho they are in no way resjwinsible for them. 

 The Filealed \\'ooil|K'ckcr does his share in staying tlie ravages of the w<Mid- 

 working insects, but he is even more interested in tiie s|)oliation of fallen logs 

 and so hastens rather than retards decay. A pair of these \\'oo«l|)eckers will 

 gradually tear a rotten log to pieces in pursuit of the grubs and wood-lj<iring 

 ants which it harbors. They are shy or contiding just in pro|)ortion to the 

 amount of persecution which they have been called upon to endure. I have 

 waited half a tlay trying to get a specimen, and again I have sat mider a 

 shower of chips or 

 ogled a busy pair in 

 the open at forty feel. 



The Log-cock has a 

 variety of notes, and 

 one will) learns them 

 will find tiie bird muili 

 more common than lu 

 may iiavc supjioseil 

 The most noteworlln 

 of these is a liigli 

 piiclied stentorian call. 

 wliicli is not e.\actl\ 

 laughter, all ho souk 

 thing like it in form. 

 hii lid lia lut lia lia h.; 

 ha hii. ".\t a distann 

 this call souufls me 

 tallic: but wiicn at clo-c 

 range it is sent cchoini,' 

 thru the forest, it i^ 

 full and clear, ami it is 

 the most untamably 

 wild soiuni anionj; bir^l 

 notes." 



In this connection I 

 wish to mention a mys- 

 terious sound which I 



have several times r..t.r. m /'ivr..- 1 .hh/v 'y ) 



hear.l in the depths of imi.i;.\ti:i) woom-ixKi-R i.i:.\vi.vr. m;st. 



