1 62 DOWNY WOODPECKER. 



with whom I have conversed, candidly acknowledge the truth 

 of these observations, and with justice look upon these birds 

 as beneficial ; but the most common opinion is, that they bore 

 the trees to suck the sap, and so destroy its vegetation ; though 

 pine and other resinous trees, on the juices of which it is not 

 pretended they feed, are often found equally perforated. Were 

 the sap of the tree their object, the saccharine juice of the 

 birch, the sugar-maple, and several others, would be much 

 more invitiug, because more sweet and nourishing, than that 

 of either the pear or apple tree ; but I have not observed one 

 mark on the former for ten thousand that may be seen on the 

 latter ; besides, the early part of spring is the season when the 

 sap flows most abundantly ; whereas it is only during the 

 months of September, October, and November, that wood- 

 peckers are seen so indefatigably engaged in orchards, prob- 

 ing every crack and crevice, boring through the bark, and, 

 what is worth remarking, chiefly on the south and southwest 

 sides of the tree, for the eggs and larvae deposited there by the 

 countless swarms of summer insects. These, if suffered to 

 remain, would prey upon the very vitals, if I may so express 

 it, of the tree, and in the succeeding summer give birth to 

 myriads more of their race, equally destructive. 



Here, then, is a whole species, I may say, genus, of birds, 

 which Providence seems to have formed for the protection of 

 our fruit and forest trees from the ravages of vermin, which 

 every day destroy millions of those noxious insects that would 

 otherwise blast the hopes of the husbandman, and which even 

 promote the fertility of the tree ; and, in return, are proscribed 

 by those who ought to have been their protectors, and incite- 

 ments and rewards held out for their destruction ! Let us 

 examine better into the operations of nature, and many of our 

 mistaken opinions and groundless prejudices will be abandoned 

 for more just, enlarged, and humane modes of thinking. 



The length of the downy woodpecker is six inches and three 

 quarters, and its extent twelve inches ; crown, black ; hind 

 head, deep scarlet ; stripe over the eye, white ; nostrils, thickly 



