512 CLASS AVES. 



but he withdraws himself from the view of the fowler by 

 turning round the branch or trunk, and keeping himself 

 always on the opposite side. Many persons imagine that 

 after a few strokes of the bill, he goes to the other side of the 

 tree to see if he has pierced it ; but if he does make a circuit 

 of this kind, it is rather for the purpose of seizing the insects 

 which he has awakened and put in motion. The sound re- 

 turned to the strokes of his bill seem to inform him where 

 the hollow parts are, in which the worms lodge, or where 

 there is a cavity where he may lodge himself and arrange 

 his nest. This appears the more probable, as it is always in 

 the heart of a vitiated and worm-eaten tree, that he takes up 

 his abode. He most frequently selects trees of a tender 

 wood, such as the aspen, birch, &c., but very rarely oaks, and 

 other hard trees. The male and female work alternately 

 to pierce through the sound part, until they arrive at the 

 carious centre, throwing out the chips : they sometimes make 

 a hole so obKque and profound that the light of day cannot 

 penetrate into it ; they enter and come out by climbing. The 

 nest is composed of moss and wool ; the eggs are from four 

 to six, greenish, and with small black spots. During the 

 time of hatching, the male and female rarely quit each other, 

 go to rest early, and remain in their hole until daylight. 



When these birds are on the ground, they do not walk, 

 but jump ; this is also their manner of climbing, as, in truth, 

 it is of all birds properly called climbers. 



These woodpeckers remain during the winter in very con- 

 siderable numbers in the great forests of France and Ger- 

 many. A part, however, migrate, for Sonnini has seen them 

 arrive on the coasts of Egypt, in September, at the same time 

 as other birds of passage. The Black Bearded Woodpecker 

 is from South America, and is remarkable by the straight 

 form of its bill. A black band extends round the base of the 

 bill, which is dilated on the upper part of the throat, so as 

 to imitate a beard. The occiput is red, the top of the head 



