216 THE IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. 



cross a large river, which it does in deep undulations, opening its wings at 

 first to their full extent, and nearly closing them to renew the propelling 

 impulse. The transit from one tree to another, even should the distance be 

 as much as a hundred yards, is performed by a single sweep, and the bird 

 appears as if merely swinging itself from the top of the one tree to that of 

 the other, forming an elegantly curved line. At this moment all the beauty 

 of the plumage is exhibited, and strikes the beholder with pleasure. It never 

 utters any sound whilst on wing, unless during the love-season; but at all 

 other times, no sooner has this bird alighted than its remarkable voice is 

 heard, at almost every leap which it makes, whilst ascending against the 

 upper parts of the trunk of a tree, or its highest branches. Its notes are 

 clear, loud, and yet rather plaintive. They are heard at a considerable 

 distance, perhaps half a mile, and resemble the false high note of a clarionet. 

 They are usually repeated three times in succession, and may be represented 

 by the monosyllable petit, jjait, pait. These are heard so frequently as to 

 induce me to say that the bird spends few minutes of the day without utter- 

 ing them, and this circumstance leads to its destruction, which is aimed at, 

 not because (as is supposed by some) this species is a destroyer of trees, but 

 more because it is a beautiful bird, and its rich scalp attached to the upper 

 mandible forms an ornament for the war-dress of most of our Indians, or for 

 the shot-pouch of our squatters and hunters, by all of whom the bird is shot 

 merely for that purpose. 



Travellers of all nations are also fond of possessing the upper part of the 

 head and the bill of the male, and I have frequently remarked, that on a 

 steamboat's reaching what we call a wooding-place, the strangers were very 

 apt to pay a quarter of a dollar for two or three heads of this Woodpecker. 

 I have seen entire belts of Indian chiefs closely ornamented with the tufts 

 and bills of this species, and have observed that a great value is frequently 

 put upon them. 



The Ivory-billed Woodpecker nestles earlier in spring than any other 

 species of its tribe. I have observed it boring a hole for that purpose in the 

 beginning of March. The hole is, I believe, always made in the trunk of a 

 live tree, generally an ash or a hagberry, and is at a great height. The 

 birds pay great regard to the particular situation of the tree, and the inclina- 

 tion of its trunk; first, because they prefer retirement, and again, because 

 they are anxious to secure the aperture against the access of water during 

 beating rains. To prevent such a calamity, the hole is generally dug imme- 

 diately under the junction of a large branch with the trunk. It is first bored 

 horizontally for a few inches, then directly downwards, and not in a spiral 

 manner, as some people have imagined. According to circumstances, this 

 cavity is more or less deep, being sometimes not more than ten inches, 



