New Jtrfey, Raccoon. 87 



tive to maize-fields and orchards, for it 

 pecks through the ears of maize, and eats 

 apples. In fome years they are very nu- 

 merous, efpecially where fweet apples 

 grow, which they eat fo far, that nothing 

 but the mere peels remain. Some years 

 ago there was a premium of two pence 

 per head, paid from the public funds, in 

 order to extirpate this pernicious bird, but 

 this law has been repealed. They are like- 

 wife very fond of acorns. At the approach 

 of winter they travel to the fouthward. 

 But when they flay in numbers in the 

 woods, at the beginning of winter, the 

 people look upon it as a fign of a pretty 

 mild winter. 



Picus varius, the leffer, fpotted, yellow-r 

 bellied Wood-pecker. Thefe birds are much 

 more numerous than many people wifhed ; 

 for this, as well as the preceding and fiu> 

 ceeding fpecies, are very hurtful to apple- 

 trees. 



Picus pubefcens, or the leaft f potted Wood- 

 pecker. This fpecies abounds here. Of 

 all the wood-peckers it is the moft dan- 

 gerous to orchards, becaufe it is the moft 

 daring. As foon as it has pecked a hole 

 into the tree, it makes another clofe to 

 the firfl, in a horizontal direction, pro- 

 ceeding till it has pecked a circle of holes 

 F 4 rou.n4 



