The Lewis Woodpecker 
insects are flying freely, 
the bird may conclude 
to remain aloft for a 
few minutes, fluttering 
about in great, watchful 
circles, ready for mo¬ 
mentary dashes and 
adroit seizures. A dozen 
of his fellows may be 
similarly engaged in the 
same vicinity, for Lewis 
is ever a sociable bird, 
and when he returns to 
his perch he will raise a 
curious raucous twitter, 
a rasping, grating, ob¬ 
structed sound, which is 
his best effort at either 
conversation or song. 
In passing from tree 
to tree the Woodpecker 
presents a crow-like ap¬ 
pearance, for it moves 
with a labored, direct 
flight, which is quite dif¬ 
ferent from the bound¬ 
ing gait so characteristic 
of many of its real kin¬ 
folk. In alighting, also, 
the bird is as likely to 
bring up on top of a 
limb, in respectable bird- 
fashion, as to try 
clinging to the tree- 
trunk. The pursuit of wood-boring beetles is evidently a lost art to this 
indolent dweller in the sun, and even bark-inspection is sadly neglected. 
Amateurish, also, are its attempts at rapping out a tattoo on a dead 
pine branch. A passing comrade will mock the effort, and in the playful 
scuffle which follows the drummer’s task is quite forgotten. “Tag” is a 
favorite game, and as for “Holding Bunker Hill,” a bevy of youngsters 
will line up along a favorite limb and snigger and scramble and shove and 
tumble off by turns, to get a new “holt,” for half an hour at a time. 
otoqks. 
LEWIS WOODPECKER 
ioji 
