HAIRY WOODPECKER. 403 



composed of the richest mosses, flags, and water-UUes, no sooner receiving the pressure 

 of the foot than it yields, and endangers the very Ufe of the adventurer; whilst here 

 and there, as he approaches an opening, that proves merely a lake of black, muddy 

 water, his ear is assailed by the dismal croaking of innumerable frogs, the hissing of 

 serpents, or the bellowing of alligators ! Would that I could give you an idea of the 

 sultry, pestiferous atmosphere that nearly suffocates the intruder during the meridian 

 heat of our dog-days in those gloomy and horrible swamps ! But the attempt to picture 

 these scenes would be vain: nothing short of ocular demonstration can impress any 

 adequate idea of them." 



DESCRIPTION : Bill, horn-white. Body, glossy bluish-black ; a white stripe beginning behind the eye, and 

 passing down the sides of the neck, and extending down each side of the back. Under wingi-coverts, 

 and entire exposed portion of the secondary quills, with ends of the inner primaries, bristles, and a 

 short stripe at base of bill, white. Crest, scarlet, upper surface, black. Female, similar, without any 

 red on the head. — Length, 21.00 inches; wings, 10.00; tail, 6.50 inches. 



HAIRY WOODPECKER. 



Dryobates villosus Cabanis. 



The Hairy Woodpecker, though only occurring in the northern and middle portion 

 of the Eastei'n States, west to the Great Plains, is represented in other portions of the 

 country by closely related varieties. Everywhere, in the East and West, North or South, 

 where forests exist, one or the other variety of this Woodpecker may be found. 



The Hairy Woodpecker is a resident species, only roving about in the country 

 during winter in quest of food. In fall, winter, and spring it even visits our large cities, 

 where it is seen busily engaged in cleaning the fruit and shade trees of all kinds of insect 

 pests. Its favorite haunts at this time of the year are orchards and the border of 

 woodlands, and during the breeding season it inhabits preferably the deep interior of 

 extensive forests. About forty years ago it was a very abundant bird in Wisconsin, but 

 the constant decrease of the woods has caused it in a great measure to desert this region. 



It is a very noisy bird in the woods, the loud call-notes, sounding like pips, pips, 

 being almost constantly heard during the beautiful days of May and June. In large old 

 apple orchards, where it often breeds at present, it utters its sounds not as frequently, 

 being altogether more suspicious and shyer than in the woods. -The nest is alv\rays 

 found in a dry old limb of a large tree or in the partially dead top of a smaller one, 

 from twelve to thirty feet from the ground, the depth of the cavity varying from 

 eight to fifteen inches. No material is used for lining the nest except a few chips. The 

 eggs, usually four, but sometimes five in number, are pure glossy white. 



The Hairy Woodpecker as well as the Downy, seem to be fond of the company of 

 other birds while roving about in the southern forests. "A motley troop," writes Prof. 

 Wm. Brewster in his fascinating way, "consisting of numerous Warblers, Titmice, Blue- 

 birds, Woodpeckers, rambled through the woods (in south-eastern Georgia) , continuously 

 chasing each other from tree to tree or from bush to bush, chirping, calling, and singing 

 as their various moods dictated. I usually noticed that the Bluebird led the van, while 

 the Woodpeckers invariably brought up the rear," 



