238 IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in cylinder-shaped holes, generally excavated in living trees. Dimensions, diameter of external orifice, 

 4-00, greatest internal, 7'00. Internal depth, SO'OO. 



Ei/ffs, four to six in number, elliptical in form, pure, polished pearly-white in color. Dimensions (approximate) from 

 95x1-10 to l-OOxl-15. 



HABITS. 



The Ivory-bill, prince among Woodpeckers, once abundant throughout the Southern 

 States, north to the Carolinas on the east and up the Mississippi Valley to Illinois on the 

 west, is now quite rare, being restricted to very limited areas. Even in Florida, that last 

 strong hold for many species of birds which are in danger of being exterminated, it is com- 

 mon in but one section. This is the Gulf Hummock, an extensive track of heavily wood- 

 ed land, uninhabited, save by camps of cedar hunters, which extends from the Suwannee 

 River, eastward, nearly to the Oclawaha. Here they are quite numerous for they are sel- 

 dom, if ever, disturbed. They also occur regularly, but rarely, in a belt of country be- 

 tween the Gulf Hummock and the lagoons which extend along the Atlantic coast. Although 

 they were not unfrequent in the latter named section some ten years ago, at the present 

 time, they are quite rare for they have not only been persistently hunted by collectors, but 

 many have met their fate at the hands of tourists who appear to consider all birds in Florida 

 larger than a Sparrow as legitimate prey. 



The Ivory-billed Woodpeckers inhabit the thick hummocks and swamps, seldom ap- 

 pearing in the piney woods, but one who is skilled in interpreting bird notes, will have no 

 difficulty in detecting their. presence for their loud cries which differ considerably from 

 those uttered by the Pileated, are constantly given when the birds are feeding. When 

 once heard, they may be approached quite readily as they are not generally very shy. I 

 have been informed by the cedar hunters that this species always nests in living trees, gen- 

 erally huge live-oaks, beginning to build during the latter part of February. 



These large and handsome Woodpeckers generally go in pairs throughout the year 

 and, as they do not wander much, even in winter, certain birds may always be found in 

 particular sections of a hummock or swamp. When flying, they are silent, moving with a 

 heavy, rather undulating, flight, similar to that of the Pileated Woodpecker but the Ivory- 

 bills may always be distinguished, even when at a distance, by the snowy whiteness of 

 their secondaries. Like many species of this family, they appear to have a predilection 

 for the vicinity of water and I have frequently observed them crossing the St. John's River 

 in advance of the steamer on which I was proceeding up the stream. 



This occurred some years ago but I doubt if, at the present time, many of these noble 

 Woodpeckers are to be found in the vicinity of the St. John's, for it is a lamentable fact, 

 that they are rapidly becoming exterminated in all sections of Florida which are visited by 

 tourists. 



As related, the last strong hold of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker is in the Gulf Hum- 

 mock but how long they will remain unmolested in this fastness, is a problem which the 

 settlement of that portion of the country will solve before many years have passed. Then, 

 unless they be protected by stringent laws, they will disappear from the surface of the 



