^°898^] 'i^TS.l^sOJi, The Tin/<crial Ivory-liillcd Woodpecker. 221 



and most secluded regions. They fly from tree to tree witli rather 

 slow, heavy wing strokes similar to those of a Crow, and when 

 about to alight, by an added impulse, glide upward along the 

 trunk in a graceful curve and firmly grasp the bark or smooth 

 wood. After a short pause and a glance around, they ascend the 

 trunk in little runs of from one to three feet, with alternating 

 pauses, usually keeping along the main stem of the tree, but when 

 searching for food sometimes traveling out on the larger branches. 

 At such times they were often seen clinging, back down, to the 

 lower side of the branch, chiseling away with powerful blows. 

 Now and then one ' drums ' for amusement upon a resonant 

 branch or trunk after the manner of many smaller Woodpeckers, 

 but the strokes are much louder and slower than those of the 

 other species. 



For so powerful a bird their notes are weak, and have the 

 peculiar nasal tone that is characteristic of the notes of Sap- 

 suckers, but with a penetrating quality that renders them distinct 

 for a long distance. I am certain they were frequently heard at a 

 distance of a mile ; yet when the birds were nearby they did not 

 sound very loud. When we had secured all the birds near camp 

 another party of five or six was found in the hills a mile or so 

 away, and the Indians told us of other places where they were 

 common. 



One old Indian led me to a high point overlooking a great 

 expanse of forested country and pointed out a number of park- 

 like openings where he assured me the birds could be found. 

 On the return trip to Patzcuaro, while passing the locality where 

 our first Ivory-bill was taken, the note of another was heard, and 

 riding into the open woods a short distance we came upon a 

 party of eight or ten. My companion winged a fine old male as 

 it fiew over and it came down uttering a loud, harsh squall, half 

 in anger and half in fright. Another bird alarmed by the shot 

 fiew to a tree near where I stood and alighted about half way up 

 the trunk. After looking at me for a few moments it flew off 

 through the trees. 



In this part of the forest we saw a large hole in a dead tree 

 which was evidently an old nesting site of the Ivory-bills. The 

 hole was about forty feet from the ground, in a large Montezuma 



