420 
THE GOLD -WINGED WOODPECKER. 
yet saw a Woodpecker hop down the tree’s trunk. Like others of its race, it is fond of vary- 
ing its insect diet with a little vegetable food, eating various fruits, the Indian corn, the wild 
cherries, and the sour gum and cedar berries. 
The Grold-winged Woodpecker seems to be readily tamed, as may be seen from the follow- 
ing account by Wilson : — 
“In rambling through the woods one day, I happened to shoot 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 willows, intending to keep him in my 
own room, that we might become better acquainted. 
“As soon as he found himself inclosed on all sides, he lost no time in idle fluttering, but 
throwing himself against the bars of the cage, began instantly to demolish the willows, batter- 
ing them with great vehe- 
mence, and uttering a loud 
piteous kind of cackling, 
similar to that of a hen when 
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, digging into the 
sticks, seizing and shaking 
them from side to side, that 
he soon opened for himself 
a, passage, and though I 
repeatedly repaired the 
breach, and barricaded every 
opening in the best manner 
I could, yet, on my return 
into the room, I always 
found him at large, climb- 
ing up the chairs, or running 
about the floor, where, from 
the dexterity of his motions, 
moving backwards, for- 
wards, and sideways with 
the same facility, it became 
difficult to get hold of him 
again. 
“ Having placed Mm 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.” 
