OF NEW ENGLAND. 323 



ness. Except on these points, they are fair t}*pes of their whole 

 family. 



They are only partially migratory, and are often resident in 

 one locality throughout the year. They are usually mated for 

 life, and on this account are frequently seen in pairs instead of 

 singly. They are active or even restless. They sometimes 

 eat berries, or catch insects on the wing, but I have never seen 

 them on the ground. They generally pass the day in moving 

 from tree to tree, from which they obtain insects, their larvae 

 and eggs, in the bark or beneath it. They fly in undulations, 

 rarely far or high, and alight with both feet, on the trunk or 

 larger limbs. They hop about with great ease, but generally 

 move with the head pointing upward. Sometimes they merely 

 pick up their food from the crannies of the bark, but at other 

 times they extract wood-borers and other insects from the 

 wood. For this, purpose they dig out small circular holes of 

 about the size made by a large awl, and with these often en- 

 circle even a large tree. In forming these holes, which are 

 healthful to the trees and not injurious, they draw back their 

 muscular head, and deliver their blows so rapidly as to produce 

 a tremulous sound or rattling, which I find it impossible to 

 imitate even by drumming with all my fingers on a board. 

 They seize their prey by thrusting out their long tongue, which 

 is coated with a sticky fluid. They work at their nest for about a 

 month, chiefly in the early morning and in the afternoon. The 

 male and female incnbate alternately, and exhibit much alarm, 

 if intruded upon after their young are hatched. They often 

 fly above the heads of the men or dogs who may intrude, con- 

 stantly uttering their loud note of alarm, and more often 

 perching crosswise than at other times. They occupy their 

 old nests or other cavities as retreats for the night or from 

 very severe weather. They are very hardy, but not un fre- 

 quently in winter, during a blinding snow-storm or a pelting 

 rain, they may be started from some decayed tree, on shaking 

 it, or rapping it with one's cane. Should they pass the winter 

 to the southward and return in the spring, they immediately 

 resort to their former lodgings, unless some rude blast has 



