OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. 139 



while winter prevails ; and it is only when the season of 

 plenty has begun to reign, that, influenced by amatory in- 

 fluences, the males go in quest of the females, or attract their 

 presence by their curious drumming. 



The flight of this species is in undulations, poorly pro- 

 tracted, but much more rapid than either of the preceding. 

 Its general movements, whilst gleaning for food, differ in no 

 essential particulars therefrom. 



Its call-note is a loud and sharp tchink which is repeated 

 during its short flights from tree to tiee, and at irregular in- 

 tervals whilst feeding ; it is seemingly expressive of de- 

 light at having discovered a rich morsel of food. It differs 

 but slightly from those of the downy and hairy. We have 

 often heard the same sound uttered with a slight but inex- 

 pressible modification, in early spring, when the sexes are 

 consorting together, which seemed to be indicative either of 

 pleasure or disgust, possibly the former if the actions of the 

 birds afforded any criteria. This note, with its various minor 

 modifications, and the peculiar drumming previously men- 

 tioned, seem to complete its only audible sounds. Other 

 feelings are most probably expressed by a characteristic 

 gesticulative language, which as yet appears almost entirely 

 inexplicable to us. 



The food of these birds is less of an insect character than that 

 of any other of the Picarian family. Although a great de- 

 stroyer of insects in their most destructive 'stages, yet the un- 

 told mischief which they achieve in the perforation of the in- 

 ner bark of many trees to such an extent as to kill them, fairly 

 outbalances the immense good which they accomplish. In 

 some parts of Wisconsin, this destruction is perpetrated on 

 a grand scale. In 1868, Dr. Brewer in company with Dr. 

 Hoy, visited Racine, and witnessed the results of this per- 

 foratory process. The punctures were made into the inner 

 bark of the trees, and were so close together, that the bark 

 eventually became stripped oft', causing a complete girdling 

 and final destruction of them. In one garden, all the mount- 



