54 THE ARCHITECTURE OF BIRDS. 



ly increased by my asking whether he could furnish 

 me with accommodations for myself and my baby. 

 The man looked blank and foolish, while the others 

 stared with still greater astonishment. After divert- 

 ing myself for a minute or two at their expense, I 

 drew my woodpecker from under the cover, and a 

 general laugh took place. I took him up stairs, and 

 locked him up in my room, while I went to see my 

 horse taken care of. In less than an hour I return- 

 ed, and, on opening the door, he set up the same dis- 

 tressing shout, which now appeared to proceed from 

 grief that he had been discovered in his attempts at 

 escape. He had mounted along the side of the win- 

 dow, nearly as high as the ceiling, a little below 

 which he had begun to break through. The bed 

 was covered with large pieces of plaster, the lath 

 \vas exposed for at least fifteen inches square, and 

 a hole, large enough to admit the fist, opened to the 

 weather-boards ; so that, in less than another hour, 

 he would certainly have succeeded in making his 

 way through. I now tied a string round his leg, and, 

 fastening it to the table, again left him. I wished 

 to preserve his life, and had gone off in search of 

 suitable food for him. As I reascended the stairs 

 I heard him again hard at work, and on entering had 

 the mortification to perceive that he had almost en- 

 tirely ruined the mahogany table to which he was 

 fastened, and on which he had wreaked his whole 

 vengeance. While engaged in taking the drawing, 

 he cut me severely in several places, and on the 

 whole he displayed such a noble and unconquerable 

 spirit, that I was frequently tempted to restore him 

 to his native woods. He lived with me nearly three 

 days, but refused all sustenance ; and I witnessed 

 his death with regret. The head and bill of this 

 bird is in great esteem among the Southern Indians, 

 who wear them by way of amulet or charm, as 

 well as ornament, and, it is said, dispose of them to 

 the Northern tribes at considerable prices. An In- 



