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  FAUNA. 
  

  

  "Disdaining 
  the 
  grovelling 
  haunts 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  herd 
  of 
  

   woodpeckers," 
  he 
  seeks 
  his 
  favorite 
  resorts 
  in 
  the 
  lofti- 
  

   est 
  trees 
  in 
  the 
  most 
  secluded 
  forests, 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  

   blasted 
  arms 
  of 
  the 
  lordly 
  cypress 
  or 
  the 
  mast-like 
  trunk 
  

   of 
  the 
  towering 
  pine, 
  sends 
  forth 
  his 
  clear 
  and 
  clarion 
  

   notes, 
  and 
  startles 
  the 
  ear 
  with 
  the 
  resounding 
  strokes 
  of 
  

   his 
  powerful 
  beak. 
  The 
  Downy 
  Woodpecker, 
  best 
  known 
  

   to 
  us 
  as 
  the 
  sap 
  sucker, 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  social 
  and 
  perhaps 
  

   the 
  most 
  mischievous 
  of 
  the 
  tribe. 
  

  

  It 
  doubtless 
  subsists 
  in 
  part 
  on 
  insects; 
  but, 
  unlike 
  

   others 
  of 
  the 
  family, 
  prefers 
  living 
  trees 
  to 
  those 
  which 
  

   are 
  decayed. 
  

  

  It 
  perforates 
  the 
  bark 
  of 
  those 
  with 
  a 
  succession 
  of 
  

   lines 
  or 
  small 
  holes 
  penetrating 
  only 
  to 
  the 
  woody 
  fibre, 
  

   and 
  sometimes 
  extending 
  entirely 
  around 
  the 
  trunk 
  or 
  

   branch, 
  by 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  materially 
  injured 
  or 
  destroyed. 
  

  

  The 
  trees 
  preferred 
  are 
  the 
  maple, 
  the 
  apple, 
  and 
  

   others 
  which 
  yield 
  a 
  rich 
  and 
  abundant 
  sap, 
  upon 
  which, 
  

   according 
  to 
  the 
  popular 
  belief, 
  it 
  feeds. 
  In 
  opposition 
  

   to 
  the 
  opinion 
  of 
  most 
  of 
  our 
  other 
  naturalists. 
  Dr. 
  Kirk- 
  

   land 
  adopts 
  this 
  opinion, 
  in 
  which 
  my 
  own 
  observations 
  

   for 
  many 
  years 
  lead 
  me 
  to 
  concur. 
  

  

  The 
  Paroquet 
  or 
  Carolina 
  Parrot, 
  with 
  his 
  plumage 
  of 
  

   vivid 
  green 
  and 
  golden 
  crest, 
  was 
  formerly 
  very 
  nume- 
  

   rous, 
  and 
  often 
  resorted 
  in 
  large 
  flocks 
  to 
  inhabited 
  dis- 
  

   tricts, 
  and 
  made 
  himself 
  familiar 
  with 
  the 
  apple 
  orchards. 
  

  

  Now 
  the 
  Paroquet 
  has 
  become 
  quite 
  scarce 
  and 
  shy, 
  

   and 
  is 
  seldom 
  seen 
  in 
  flocks 
  of 
  more 
  than 
  half 
  a 
  dozen 
  

   together, 
  retiring 
  habitually 
  to 
  the 
  swamp 
  or 
  tall 
  timber. 
  

   Its 
  favorite 
  food 
  is 
  the 
  cocklebur, 
  Zanthium 
  sirumarium. 
  

   They 
  have 
  a 
  shrill, 
  piercing 
  note, 
  which 
  they 
  always 
  

   utter 
  together 
  or 
  alternately 
  when 
  on 
  the 
  wing. 
  

  

  The 
  Wild 
  Pigeon 
  visits 
  us 
  occasionally 
  in 
  large 
  num- 
  

   bers, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  establishes 
  roosts 
  and 
  rears 
  young. 
  

  

  