GOLDEN-WINGED 
WOODPECKER. 
171 
acquainted 'with tlie value of corn, from the Lard labor requisite in 
raising it. 
In rambling through the Avoods one day, I happened to shoot at one 
of these birds, and "wounded him slightly in the wing. Finding him in 
full feather, and seemingly but little hurt, I took him home, and put 
him into a large cage, made of Avillows, intending to keep him in my 
own room, that we might become better acquainted. As soon as he 
found himself enclosed on all sides, he lost no time in idle fluttering, but 
throwing himself against the bars of the cage, began instantly to de- 
mo] isli the willows, battering them with great vehemence, and uttering 
a loud piteous kind of cackling, similar to that of a hen Avhen she is 
alarmed, and takes to wing. Poor Baron Trenck never labored with 
more eager diligence at the walls of his prison, than this son of the 
forest in his exertions for liberty ; and he exercised his powerful bill 
■with such force, digsii^S into the sticks, seizino; and shakinir them so 
from side to side, that he soon opened for himself a passage ; and 
though I repeatedly repaired the breach, and barrieadocd every opening 
in the best manner I could, yet on my return into the room, I always 
found him at large, climbing up the chairs, or running about the floor, 
"where, from the dexterity of his motions, moving backwards, forwards, 
and sidewise, with the same facility, it became difficult to get hold of 
him again. Having placed him in a strong wire cage, he seemed to 
give up all hopes of making his escape, and soon -became very tame ; 
fed on young ears of Indian corn ; refused apples, but ate the berries 
of the sour gum greedily, small winter grapes, and several other kinds 
of berries ; exercised himself frequently in climbing, or rather hopping 
perpendicularly along the sides of the cage ; and as evening drew on, 
fixed himself in a high hanging or perpendicular position, and slept with 
his head in his wing. As soon as dawn appeared, even before it was 
light enough to perceive him distinctly across the room, he descended 
to the bottom of the cage, and began his attack on the ears of Indian 
corn, rapping so loud as to be heard from every room in the house. 
After this he would sometimes resume his former position, and take 
another nap. He was beginning to become very amusing, and even 
sociable, when, after a lapse of several weeks, he became drooping, 
and died, as I conceived, from the effects of his wound. 
Some European naturalists (and among the rest Linnteus himself, in 
his tenth edition of the Systema Natur;\5), have classed this bird with 
the genus Cuculus, or Cuckoo, informing their readers that it possesses 
many of the habits of the Cuckoo ; that it is almost ahvays on the 
ground ; is never seen to climb trees like the other Woodpeckers, and that 
its bill is altogether unlike theirs ; every one of which assertions I must 
say is incorrect, and could have only proceeded from an entire unac- 
quaintance with the manners of the bird. Except in the article of the 
