0IUU3. 183 



unwary animal comes within the sphere of their activity, and at 

 the edges of tiie tree hang these artificial nests, in great abun- 

 dance, inhabited by birds of the most delightful plumage. 



The nest is usually formed in this manner : When the time 



alights on another tree, he utters a rather shriller cry, composed of nearly 

 the same kind of note, quickly reiterated. In fall and winter, he associates 

 with the titmouse, creeper, itc. both in their wood and orchard excursions ; 

 and usually leads the van. Of ail our woodpeckers, none rid the apple-trees 

 of so many vermin a^ this, digging- otf the moss which the negligence of tho 

 proprietor had suffered to accumulate, and probing every crevice. In fact, 

 the orchard is his favourite resort in all seasons ; and his industry is un. 

 equalled, and almost incessant, which is more than can be said of any other 

 species we have. In fall, he is particularly fond of boring the apple-treea 

 for insects, digging a circular hole through the bark just sufficient to admit 

 his bill, after that a second, third, is;c. in jiretty regular horizontal circles 

 round the body of the tree ; these parallel circles of holes are often not more 

 tliiui an inch or an inch and a half apart, and sometimes so close together, 

 that I have covered eight or ten of them at once with a dollar. From nearly 

 the surface of the ground up to the first fork, and sometimes far beyond it, the 

 whole bark of many apple-trees is perforated in this manner, so as to appear 

 BS if made by successive discharges of buck-shot ; and our little woodpecker, 

 the subject of the present account, is the principal perpetrator of this sup- 

 posed miscliief. — I say supposed, for so far from these perforations of the 

 biu-k being ruinous, they are not only harmless, but, I have good reason to 

 believe, really beneficial to the health and fertility of the tree. I leave it to 

 the philiisophical botanist to account for this ; but the fact I am confident 

 of. In more than fifty orchards which I have myself carefully examined, 

 those trees which were marked by the \vood pecker (for some trees they never 

 touch, perhaps because not penetrated by insects), were uniformly the most 

 thriving, and seemingly the most productive ; many of these were upwards 

 of sixty years old, their trunks completely covered with holes, while 

 the branches were broad, luxuriant, and loaded with fruit. Of decayed 

 trees, more than three-fourths were untouched by the woodpecker. 

 Several intelligent farmers, with whom I have conversed, candidly ac- 

 knowledge the truth of these observations, and with justice look upon theie 

 birds as beneficial ; but the most common opinion is, that they bore the 

 trees to suck the sap, and so destroy its vegetation ; though pine and other 

 resinous trees, on the juices of which it is not pretended they feed, are 

 often found equally perforated. Were the sap of the tree their object, the 

 Eacchnrine juice of the birch, the sugar maple, and several others, would 

 be mtich more inviting, because more sweet and nourishing than that of 

 cither the pe:u- or apple-tree ; but I have not observed one mark on the 

 former for ten thousand that may be seen on the latter ; besides, the early 

 part of spring is the season when the sap flows most abundantly ; whereas 

 it is only during the months of September, October, and November, that 

 woodpeckers are seen so indefatigably engaged in orchards, probing every 

 crack and crevice, boring through the bark, and what is worth remarking, 

 chiefly on the south and southwest sides of the tree, for tho eggs and larvse 

 deposited there by the countless swarms of summer insects These, if suf> 



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