178 HlSTOllV OF 



them are of tlie woodpecker kind ; and indeed there is not, in 

 the whole history of nature, a more singular instance of the sa- 

 gacity of those little animals in protecting themselves against 

 such enemies as tbcy have most occasion to fear. In cultivated 



proceed from grief that he had boon discovered in his attempts at es- 

 cape. He had moiuited along' the side of the window, nearly as high aa 

 the ceiling-, a little below which he liiid begun to break throngh. The bed 

 was covered with large pieces of plaster ; the lath was exposed for at least 

 fifteen inches square, and a hole, large enough to admit the fist, opened to 

 the weather-boards ; so that in less than an another hoiu' he would certain, 

 ly have succeeded in making his way through. I now tied a string round 

 his li'g, and, fastening it to the t^ble, again left him. I wished to preserve 

 his life, and had gone ofl' in search of suitable food for him. As I re-ascend- 

 ed the stairs I heard hira again hard at work, and on entering had the mor- 

 tification to perceiAe that he had almost entirely ruined the mahogany table 

 to which he was fa.stened, and on which he had wreaked his whole veiu 

 geaiice. While engaged in taking a drawing, he cut me severely in several 

 places, and, on the whole, displayed .such a noble and unconquerable spirit, 

 that T was frequently tempted to restore hira to his native woods. He lived 

 with me nearly three days, but refused all sustenance, and I witnessed liis 

 death with regret." 



In his description of the gold- winged woodpecker, Wilson gives another 

 amusing account of the confinement of one of that species. " In rambling 

 through the A\oods one day, I happened to shoot one of these birds, and 

 woinided him slightly on the wing. Finding him in full feather, and seem- 

 ingly but little hurt, I took him home, and put him into a large cage, made 

 of w illows, intending to keep him in ray own roora, that we might become 

 better acquainted. As ?oon as ho found himself inclosed on all sides, he 

 lost no time in idle fluttering, but, throwing himself against the bars of the 

 cage, began instantly to demolish the willows, battering them with great 

 vehemence, and uttering a loud piteous kind of cackling, similar to that of 

 a hen when she is alarmed, and takes to wing. Poor Baron Trenck never 

 laboured with more eager diligence at the walls of his prison, than this son 

 of the forest in his exertions for liberty ; and he exercised his powerful bill 

 with such force, d gging into the sticks, seizing and shaking them so from 

 Bide to side, that he soon opened for himself a passage ; and, though I re- 

 peatedly repaired the breach, and barricaded every opening, in the best 

 manner I could, yet on my return into the room, I always found him at 

 large, climbing up the chairs, or running about the floor, «here, from the 

 dexterity of his motions, moving backward, forward, and sidewise, with 

 the same facility, it became difficult to get hold of him again. Haviugr 

 placed him in a strong wire cage, he seemed to give up all hopes of making 

 his escape, and soon became very tame ; fed on young ears of Indian corn ; 

 refused apples, but ate the berries of the sour gum greedily, small winter 

 grapes, and several other kinds of berries ; e.xercised himself frequently in 

 cUmbing, or rather hopping perpendicularly along the sides of the cage ; 

 and, as evening drew on, fixed himself in a high hanging, or perpendicular 

 position, and slept with his head in his wing. As soon as dawn appeared, 

 even before it was light enough to perceive him distinctly across the room. 



