THE WINTER BIRDS. 275 



of the winter birds to give life and beauty to the faded 

 scenes of nature. Though not one was heard to sing, 

 they seemed as active and as full of merriment as in the 

 early summer. The most attractive birds on this occa- 

 sion were the Woodpeckers, of which several species were 

 very numerous. Conspicuous among them was the Car- 

 penter Bird, or Pileated Woodpecker, a bird with rusty 

 black plumage, a red crest and mustaches, and a white 

 stripe on each side of the neck ; one of the largest of 

 the family. His loud croaking might be heard at any 

 time in the deep woods, and his great size and his fre- 

 quent hammering upon the resounding boles of decayed 

 trees were very attractive. 



A more beautiful but smaller species was the Red- 

 headed Woodpecker, with head and neck and throat of 

 crimson, and other parts of his plumage variously marked 

 with white and changeable blue. This species, though 

 seldom seen in Eastern Massachusetts, is a common resi- 

 dent in this latitude west of the Green Mountain range. 

 The birds of this species were very numerous, and during 

 my rambles the woods were constantly flashing with their 

 bright colors as they flitted among the trees. They were 

 sometimes joined by the Redbreasted Woodpecker, hardly 

 less beautiful. 



It is impossible to describe the charm which these birds 

 gave to the otherwise solitary woods. I would sometimes 

 remain a whole day there, watching the manners of these 

 and hundreds of other beautiful birds, that were strangers 

 to me, taking my dinner with the squirrels, upon the 

 fruit of the black walnut-tree, which was strewn over 

 all the ground. The loud croaking of the Log-cock, the 

 cackling screams of the Red-headed Woodpecker, and the 

 solemn tolling of the Redbreast, blended with the occa- 

 sional cooing of Turtle-Doves, made a sylvan entertain- 

 ment that rendered my winter rambles at this period and 



