JANUARY. 5 



such as Buprestis, Elater, and Ceramhyx ; — the Sir exes ; 

 some of the larger Tipulce, &c., inhabit the wood of trees in 

 the larva state ; and pupae of moths, with many perfect 

 insects, are often concealed beneath the bark. 



C. — He appears to have some success : for see how he 

 renews his exertions ; how he scales off the pieces of bark, 

 and makes the rotten wood fly about. Ha I there he goes, 

 with his harsh laughing cry ; he has alighted on yonder 

 dead spruce. He appears to prefer dead trees for his re- 

 searches. 



F. — Yes ; he knows that insects are not to be found in 

 sound healthy trees, and they are all that he seeks. His 

 instinct, however, discovers the incipient decay long before 

 it is manifest to our senses, and eagerly probes for the hidden 

 author of the mischief. 



C. — Some of the old apple-trees in the orchard have their 

 trunks almost covered with holes ; in as regular rows as they 

 could have been drilled by a carpenter. 



F, — Perhaps, at every one of those holes, the useful 

 woodpecker dragged forth a grub ; so rendering an essential 

 service by keeping down the race of these destructive insects ; 

 not by assisting the tree, for I suppose its doom is sealed 

 before the bird attacks it. 



C. — How many of the woodpeckers are indigenous ? 

 F. — It is probable that nearly all the American species 

 are found in Canada. The Gold-winged (P. Auratus), the 

 Red-headed (P. Eri/throcephalus), the Hairy f P. Villosusjf 

 are abundant, and I have seen the noble Pileated fP, Pile- 

 aticsji with his high pointed scarlet cap, and the Downy 

 fP, Pubescens), the smallest of all the woodpeckers. Wil- 

 son speaks of P. Varim and P. Carolinus, also, as inhabit- 

 ing Canada. I have likewise seen the Northern three-toed 

 Woodpecker (P. Tridactylus ) , so very common in New- 

 foundland, known by its bright yellow crown. There are. 



