IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. 



25 



put together ; but the inside is always lined with dry and warm 

 material, such as fine feathers. The eggs number from ten to 

 fourteen, of an oblong form, and a light greenish color, having a 

 strong shell of a fine grain. The young, which run about as soon 

 as they are hatched, soon take to the water. Those that are 

 hatched in nests on rocks tumble themselves down from consider- 

 able heights, lower and lower, until they reach the water. I have 

 seen young Goosanders tumble themselves down from heights of 

 ten or twelve feet, so that they lay below for more than a minute 

 in a stunned condition; but as soon as they recovered, they shook 

 themselves and made ready for another tumble. It seems that the 

 heavy down with which they are covered gives them a certain de- 

 gree of elasticity, and thereby shields them from injury. The 

 young Goosanders live at first exclusively on aquatic insects, and 

 keep on the surface of the water ; but after a period of three days 

 they begin to dive, and, after a few days of practice, they be- 

 come as expert fishers as their parents. In their movements and 

 behavior, they at first resemble young Ducks ; but after the first 

 eight days they exhibit the peculiar movements of the old birds. 

 Up to this time they take shelter under the wings of the mother- 

 bird to warm themselves after their fishing exercises ; but they 

 grow very rapidly, and soon become so independent as to take no 

 heed of the mother or she of them. To produce warmth, they 

 huddle close together, forming a sort of round heap. In about six 

 weeks they are full grown, but not able to fly, as the growth of 

 the quill feathers does not quite keep time with the growth of the 

 body. The male bird takes no care of the young, except to act 

 as a sentinel, giving a warning on the approach of an enemy. 



The young of the Goosander suffer but little from the enemies 

 that threaten other young swimming-birds. This is due to their 

 strength and rapid motion. The old ones suffer but iiiJe from en- 

 emies, as they are very cautious and shy, and their flesh is not very 

 desirable food, having a strong fishy taste. Their feathers are 

 considered inferior to those of the Goose or Duck. The eggs of 

 the Goosander are collected in the northern regions by trappers 

 and fishermen, who are said to take from one of the same 

 nest successively over two dozen eggs, the mother-bird always re- 

 placing the egg that was taken away ; but the egg must be pulled 

 out of the nest with a stick, and not taken by the bare hand, as in 

 that case the bird would abandon the nest. 



PLATE XXVI. 



The Ivory-billed Woodpecker. (CampepMus Principalis.) 



Fig. i. 



This most beautiful, formidable, and majestic Woodpecker is the 

 second in size of all our American species, there being but one 

 surpassing him in size in this country. The Imperial Woodpecker 

 of California (CampepMus Imper talis) stands at the head of 

 all Woodpeckers hitherto discovered. The beautiful dress of the 

 Ivory-billed Woodpecker, his superb carmine crest, his ivory-white 

 bill, his beautiful white and black body, his brilliant and piercing 

 yellow eye, and especially his graceful flight, entitled him to par- 

 ticular notice. The illustrious Audubon, in his poetic style of com- 

 position, compares the distribution of the brilliant colors on our 

 Ivory-billed with the style and coloring of that inimitable artist, 

 Van Dyke ; and indeed those who are familiar with the paintings 

 of that great master, will readily acknowledge. that Audubon is 

 perfectly right. The manners of the Ivory-billed have a dignity 

 about them far superior to the herd of common Woodpeckers. To 

 the latter, trees, shrubbery, orchards, fences, fence-posts, or even 

 old logs lying on the ground, are all alike interesting in their inde- 

 fatigable search after prey ; but the Ivory-billed is not satisfied with 



things of such an humble character, for he delights in selecting the 

 most towering trees of the forests in his exploring expeditions after 

 food or amusement. 



The Ivory-billed is not met with in any of the Middle States of 

 the American Union ; probably for the reason that the woods of 

 these States are not suited to the peculiar habits of this bird. 

 Sometimes a single individual of this species is met with on the 

 Atlantic coast, in Maryland, and a few more in the Carolinas ; but 

 the lower parts of the latter and of Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, 

 and especially of Mississippi, may be regarded as his favorite 

 resorts. In these States he resides permanently, breeding there, 

 and leading a life of tranquil enjoyment, and finding an abund- 

 ance of food for his subsistence in the woods that cover the dark, 

 gloomy, and deep swamps and morasses frequently occurring in 

 these States. On the west side of the Mississippi, he is found in 

 all the forests, which border the tributaries of that river, all the way 

 down the Rocky Mountains. His favorite haunts are those gloomy 

 swamps and morasses overshadowed by dark, gigantic cypresses, 

 stretching their bare and blasted branches, as it were, midway to 

 the skies. It is dangerous to penetrate into such swamps ; and 

 were it not of strong desire to learn their hidden secrets, no one 

 would encounter the hardships and risk connected with such an 

 enterprise. For miles upon miles the dangerous morass stretches 

 out, and progress toward the interior is not only baffled by low, 

 projecting arms of the gigantic trees, but often by the thorny under- 

 brush, interwoven with a dense growth of climbing and winding 

 plants of different kinds, and also obstructed by countless dead and 

 decaying trunks of fallen trees, stretching their dry and withered 

 branches heavenward in the most fantastic way. By far the great- 

 est difficulty to the explorer is the yielding and treacherous ground, 

 whose surface is covered with a beautiful carpet of splendid mosses, 

 water-lilies, sword lilies, and other kinds of flowers and piants. 

 For a time the explorer may walk safely enough on this beautiful 

 carpet; but let him tread as lightly as he may, on a sudden he 

 breaks through, and he sinks in the morass up to his body with the 

 consciousness that there is an almost bottomless quagmire under- 

 neath. Involuntarily grasping the overhanging branches, he drags 

 himself out, finding his legs covered with dark mud, emitting a 

 most disagreeable odor. Having thus had a practical warning of 

 the danger that lurks under his feet, the traveler proceeds, if pos- 

 sible, more cautiously, and this retards his progress still more. 

 Here and there his onward course is interrupted by suddenly com- 

 ing to a pond of considerable size, filled with dark, muddy water, 

 emitting a horrible stench, that almost benumbs the senses. Such 

 places are the favorite residence of the Ivory-billed. To him there 

 is no danger. He is high above the reach of foul air, and, owing 

 to his mode of locomotion, swamps and morasses do not interfere 

 with his progress from place to place. 



The flight of this bird, although short, generally not extending 

 over a hundred yards at a time, is extremely graceful. When 

 crossing a large river, he shoots forward in beautiful undulations, 

 spreading out his wings fully, and only flapping them when he 

 intends to give a more vigorous push to his forward movement. 

 His flight from tree to tree is accomplished with a single sweep, 

 and in a most graceful curve, as he comes down from the highest 

 top of one tree and alights on another, on the lower part of the 

 trunk — no matter whether the trees are only twenty yards or a 

 hundred and fifty apart. On such occasions, he appears most 

 amiable to the beholder, and his beautiful colors and markings 

 show him off to the greatest advantage. 



I never heard his voice while he was on the wing, except in 

 mating time, when his sonorous voice is occasionally heard, while 

 executing some beautiful evolutions in the air. As soon as he 

 reaches the lower part of the trunk of a tree, and is ascending it 

 in a spiral line, his remarkably clear, loud, and pleasing voice is 

 heard from the distance of over half a mile. The sound of his 

 call, which strongly resembles the word "pat, pat, pat," is so often 

 repeated that it seems as if the bird was uttering the sound during 



