552 NDltTII AMERICAN UIllDS. 



it, and tlicrc liiid yoimj,'. liiiforo tlicy wcio Iiiilf j,'ro\vn the Woodpeckers 

 returiiod In tlir ]iliu'i', luid, di'spiln the; cries and reiterated attacks of the 

 IJhiehirds, took out the yoiiiij,' and carried them away to some distance. 

 Next, tiie nest itself was disjxised of, tlie hole cleaned and enlarged, and 

 there they raised their hrood. The tree was large, l)iit r.o situated that Dr. 

 IJachnian could reacii tlie nest from the liranches of another. 'I'lie hole was 

 eighteen inches deep, and he could tcmch the bottom with his hand. The 

 eggs, six in nunilier, were laid on fragments of chi])s expressly left liy the 

 birds, and were large, white, and translucent. IJefore the Woodpeckers l)egan 

 to sit, he robl)ed them of tlieir eggs to see if they would lay a second time. 

 They waited a few days as if undecided, and then he heard tlie female at 

 work again, dee])ening the hole and making it liroader at the bottom. She 

 soon recommenced laying, this time depositing five eggs. Jle su tiered her 

 to bring out her young, lioth l)irds alternately incubating, and each visiting 

 the other at intervals, looking in at the hole to see if all were right and well 

 there, and Hying otV afterwards in search of Ibod. When the young were 

 old enough, he took them home and endeavored to raise them. Tin-eo 

 died, refusing .all food. With two he was more successful. lUit even tiieso 

 he found untamable and destructive and troublesome pets, which he was at 

 last glad to release. 



Dr. Cooper, who observed this species in Washington Territory, discovered 

 a pair early in April on Whitby's Ishmd, burrowing out a hole for their 

 nest in a dead trunk, about thirty feet from the ground. Tiiey worked alter- 

 nately, and were very watchful, keeping perfectly silent while they heard any 

 noise near by. He found the jdace V)y noticing cliips on the buslies below, 

 and after watching silently for some time, one of them began to work, now 

 and then ]n'otruding its bill full of chips, iiiul, after cautiously looking round, 

 dro])i»ing them. 



According to Mr. ( ". S. Paine, of Randolph, Vt., the IMleated Woodpecker 

 is very rare in \'ermont, and extremely shy. It is diilicult to ajjproacli one 

 nearer than from fifteen to twenty rods, except by surprise, lie adds that 

 in only a single in.stanee has he been able to .shoot one. This fell with a 

 broken wing, before he could reach it, the bird commenced climbing a tree, 

 and nearly es(;aped. When overtaken, it fought furiously, and wounded Mr. 

 Paine severely in the hand, setting u]) at the same time a loud outcry, not 

 unlike that of a domestic lien. He lias never met witli its nest, although he 

 has several times seen the young when just alile to leave it. The elder 

 Mr. Paine states that, .some fifty years previous, this species was aiuindaiit in 

 Vermont, .and not .at all timid, and is of the opinion that their present shy- 

 ness is all that exem})ts them from extermination. 



Mr. Dresser found this Woodjiecker resident and quite numerous in Texas 

 near all the large rivers, where tlie timber is heavy. A few were seen on 

 the Medina, and their eggs obtained thcnv, but they were not abundant in 

 that district. On the Colorado and Ijrazos IJivers these birds were verv com- 



