THE PILEATED WOODPECKER. 
in length at a single blow, busy in quest of insects, all the while sounding 
its loud notes, as if highly delighted. Sound and healthy trees, however, 
are never thus attacked, excepting for the purpose of nidification. The tree 
selected, for this purpose, is either an ash or a hagberry ; and at a great ele- 
vation, the pair, relieving each other by turns, begin their operations. They 
generally select a spot under the junction of a large branch, with the trunk 
as a defence against rain. They first excavate horizontally for a few inches, 
and then downwards, the extent of the cavity varying from a foot to three 
feet downwards, into the core of the tree ; the diameter is about seven inches, 
but the aperture will only just admit the bird. The eggs, generally six, are 
Two broods are usually reared each summer. Besides insects, this 
The flight 
of this species is very graceful, though, as Audubon says, seldom prolonged 
white. 
Woodpecker devours wild grapes, persimmons, and haeberries. 
I 5 4 fe) 
to more than a few hundred yards at a time, unless when it has to cross a 
large river, which it does in deep undulations, but the transit from tree to 
tree is performed by a single sweep. It seldom utters any sound while on 
the wing; but as soon as it alights, its voice is heard, the notes resounding 
to a considerable distance, and may be represented by the monosyllable pact, 
pait, pact, in tone like the false high note of a clarionet. 
The head and bill of this species are held in great esteem, as a sort of 
charm or amulet, by many of the tribes of America, who ornament. their 
belts with them; and Europeans purchase them as beautiful curiosities. 
When wounded, this bird generally ascends the nearest tree, in a spiral 
direction, till it attains the top branches, where it hides; but if intercepted 
and laid hold of, it defends itself both with its beak and claws, inflicting 
severe lacerations. 
The Pileated Woodpecker (J7yjlatomus pileatus) is also well known. It 
is found only in American forests, and is recognized by a number of names, 
—such as Log Cock, Black Wood-Cock, Great Woodpecker, &e. Its color 
is black, with a streak of white across the head and on the sides of the 
breast, and the crown is of a scarlet red. 
The great size and strength of this bird enable it to pierce into and tear 
apart the decaying trees in which its food is burrowing, with wonderful facil- 
ity and ease. We have, at times, in passing through the forest, found huge 
trees that had died and fallen to the ground, with their bark stripped off, 
and large chips torn out, as if some animal had been at work on them; and 
we always supposed that a bear had been amusing himself, as those animals 
sometimes do, in this employment. One day we discovered the author of 
the demolition, and it proved to be the Pileated Woodpecker. While seated 
in the woods near the settlement known as Wilson’s Mills, in Maine, we 
heard a large animal, as we supposed, rooting and tearing into a dead tree 2 
NO. XII. 56 
