OF NEW ENGLAND. 323 
ness. Except on these points, they are fair types of their whole 
family. 
They are only partially migratory, and are often resident in 
one locality throughout the year. They are usually mated for 
life, and on this account are frequently seen in pairs instead of 
singly. They are active or even restless. They sometimes 
eat berries, or catch insects on the wing, but I have never seen 
them on the ground. They generally pass the day in moving 
from tree to tree, from which they obtain insects, their larvee 
and eggs, in the bark or beneath it. They fly in undulations, 
rarely far or high, and alight with both feet, on the trunk or 
larger limbs. They hop about with great ease, but generally 
move with the head pointing upward. Sometimes they merely 
pick up their food from the crannies of the bark, but at other 
times they extract wood-borers and other insects from the 
wood. For this, purpose they dig out small circular holes of 
about the size made by a large awl, and with these often en- 
circle even a large tree. In forming these holes, which are 
healthful to the trees and not injurious, they draw back their 
muscular head, and deliver their blows so rapidly as to produce 
a tremulous sound or rattling, which I find it impossible to 
imitate even by drumming with all my fingers on a board. 
They seize their prey by thrusting out their long tongue, which 
is coated with a sticky fluid. They work at their nest for about a 
month, chiefly in the early morning and in the afternoon. The 
male and female incubate alternately, and exhibit much alarm, 
if intruded upon after their young are hatched. They often 
fly above the heads of the men or dogs who may intrude, con- 
stantly uttering their loud note of alarm, and more often 
perching crosswise than at other times. They occupy their 
old nests or other cavities as retreats for the night or from 
very severe weather. They are very hardy, but not unfre- 
quently in winter, during a blinding snow-storm or a pelting 
rain, they may be started from some decayed tree, on shaking 
it, or rapping it with one’s cane. Should they pass the winter 
to the southward and return in the spring, they immediately 
resort to their former lodgings, unless some rude blast has 
