214 GOLD-WINGED WOODPECKER. 



the thighs, upper and under tail-coverts, black 

 and white, mixed: quills brown, shafts yellow, 

 spotted with brown on the outer edge : rump 

 whitish : tail blackish, outwardly edged with grey; 

 the exterior feathers spotted with white on the 

 margins ; the shafts of all but the two middle fea- 

 thers are yellow half way from the base : legs and 

 claws brown : the female has the crown and neck 

 behind grey brown : the red on the back of the 

 head not so brilliant: but she wants the black 

 mark on the throat, and the greater quills are not 

 spotted on the edges. This species is very abun- 

 dant in most parts of North America, where it is 

 known by the names of Hittock, or Pint, from its 

 note, and High-hole, from the situation of its nest. 

 It is seldom known to climb trees in the manner 

 of the rest of the genus, but is almost continually 

 on the ground in search of insects, on which it 

 principally feeds, but when there is a scarcity of 

 these, it is said to eat the berries of the red cedar, 

 both of which make it very fat, when it is esteemed 

 as very fine eating : it stays in the southern parts 

 all the year, but in the northern is said to appear 

 in April, and disappear in September : it lays from 

 four to six eggs in hollow tree's, and is called by 

 the natives in the neighbourhood of Fort Albany, 

 Outhee-quau-now. 



