118 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 



finds its prey abundant, many fish being driven over the 

 falls, and entangled among those rocky shallows below. 



C. — I heard its sudden rattling cry two or three times, 

 before I could get a shot at it. Is it migratory ? 



F. — I have never met with it in winter ; and as our 

 streams and rivers are fast frozen up at that season, I should 

 think it impossible for it to subsist. 



C. — I have obtained a specimen of a very beautiful bird, 

 the Gold- winged Woodpecker (Picus Auratus), which was 

 hopping about the ground, and the rails of the fence. 



F, — In this respect it differs from the other woodpeckers ; 

 for they are very rarely, if ever, seen on the ground, and 

 not often on the fence ; whereas, this species is more com- 

 monly found in such situations than in any others. This, 

 though it often rests perpendicularly, and climbs, like its 

 brethren, yet more frequently sits on a bough, or on a rail, 

 like other birds. He is very fond of ants, and to search for 

 these is probably the business which so often brings him to 

 the ground : he does not perforate trees so much as the 

 others, though still he does a little business in that line. 



C. — The common people here call it " Wickup ;" its 

 common cry consists of one note repeated very rapidly, 

 many times, so as almost to resemble a shake in music. 



F. — I was once shown the nest of a Gold-wing ; it was 

 in the State of Alabama, where it is called the Yellow-ham- 

 mer. The nest was in a hole in a decayed stump, about 

 twelve feet from the ground ; the hole was round and small, 

 but widened within, and turned downwards. It contained 

 four young ones, almost fledged. A boy took out one to 

 show me, which he put in again, and for some time after, 

 they kept up a singular hissing noise, sufficient to deter any- 

 one from exploring their hole who was not acquainted with 

 the origin of the sound. The colours of this bird are beauti- 

 ful, without being gaudy. 



