APRIL BIRDS. 17 



hatch breeds far north of us, whither he 

 will soon be hastening.^ 



The pigeon woodpecker, or high-hole, 

 or flicker {colapies aiiratus), is a character- 

 istic April bird, which, unlike the nuthatch, 

 comes to tarry, and though I have as yet 

 missed his long, loud if-if-if-if, reminding 

 one somewhat of the scream of the robin, 

 yet it will soon be heard re-echoing through 

 the outskirts of the city. Though a hand- 

 some, jaunty fellow, he is much fonder of 

 being heard than seen, which seems all 

 the stranger, as his voice is far from pleas- 

 ing or musical. 



The blue grackle, or crow-blackbird 

 {qniscahis versicolor^ is already abundant 

 in the Rural Cemetery, one of his favorite 

 haunts, and it is amusing indeed to watch 

 him lift his wings and jerk up his tail in 

 his desperate efforts to sing, all resulting 

 in the most pitiful wheezing and sput- 

 tering, — the mere parody of a musical 

 performance. 



1 The white-bellied nuthatch sometimes breeds in 

 Massachusetts. — Eds. 



