136 WANDERINGS IN 



SECOND discover for you your hidden and unsuspected 



JOURNEY. * J 



foe, which has been devouring your wood in such 



secrecy, that you had not the least suspicion it 

 was there. The hole which I make in order to 

 get at the pernicious vermin, will be seen by you 

 as you pass under the tree. I leave it as a signal 

 to tell you, that your tree has already stood too 

 long. It is past its prime. Millions of insects, 

 engendered by disease, are preying upon its vitals. 

 Ere long it will fall a log in useless ruins. Warned 

 by this loss, cut down the rest in time, and spare, 

 O spare the unoffending woodpecker." 



The King- In the rivers, and different creeks, you number 



fisher. . 



six species of the King-fisher. They make their 

 nest in a hole in the sand on the side of the bank. 

 As there is always plenty of foliage to protect 

 them from the heat of the sun, they feed at all 

 hours of the day. Though their plumage is pret- 

 tily varied, still it falls far short of the brilliancy 

 displayed by the English king-fisher. This little 

 native of Britain would outweigh them altogether 

 in the scale of beauty. 



The Jaca- A bird called Jacamar is often taken for a king- 

 fisher, but it has no relationship to that tribe ; it 

 frequently sits in the trees over the water, and as 

 its beak bears some resemblance to that of the 

 king-fisher, this may probably account for its being 

 taken for one ; it feeds entirely upon insects ; it 

 sits on a branch in motionless expectation, and as 

 soon as a fly, butterfly, or moth pass by, it darts 



mar. 



