Alabama, ipi8. 53 



RED-HEADED WOODPECKER 



-♦■©♦ 



THIS very handsome species is common and very well known. 

 The adults have the entire head and breast red ; while the young 

 have gray heads and back, streaked with darker. They are the ruf- 

 fians of the woodpecker family, very noisy and quarrelsome. One 

 of their worst traits is the devouring of the eggs and young of other 

 birds. To offset this, partially, they eat insects and grubs and a 

 great deal of fruit. Their note is a loud, whining "charr," "charr," 

 besides numerous other calls and imitations. In May and June 

 they lay four to six glossy white eggs in holes in trees in woods, 

 orchards or along roadsides, and also in fence posts and telegraph 

 poles. 



^ ^ C^ 

 THE WOODPECKER 



WHO dat knockin' on my cabin do' 

 Dis mo'nin' at break o' day? 

 Who dat callin' "You lazy Jim, 



You better git up and make yo' hay 

 An' clean yo' cotton row." 



Who dat ringin' his breakfus' bell 

 On de roof whar de white folks stay ? 



Who call dem chil'en to jump in deir clo's 

 An' wash deir face' an' hurry away 



To whar de school ma'am dwell? 



Who dat hammerin' on de sycamo' lim', 

 As de chil'en come trampin' through 



On de road to school 'long de bypath way 

 A urgin' dem on to do deir do 



An' den come hunt f er him ? 



—A. C. Webb. 



