14 
WOODPECKEES. * 
pursue each other ou whig iu a very amicable manner, 
in long beautifully curved sweeps, during which the 
remarkable variety of their plumage becomes conspicu- 
ous, and is highly pleasing to the eye, AYhen passing 
from one tree to another, their flight resembles the 
motion of a great swing, and is performed by a slight 
opening of the wings, descending at first, and rising 
towards the ,spot on which they are going to alight, 
with ease and in the most graceful manner. 
The Black Snake {Qoliihra constrictor) is said by 
AVilson to destroy many of the young of this species. 
It glides up the trunk of the tree, and, like a skulking 
savage, enters the AYoodpecker’s peaceable apartment, 
devours the eggs or helpless young, in spite of the cries 
or flutterings of the parents, and, if the place be large 
enough, coils himself up in the spot they occupied, 
where he will sometimes remain for several days. 
The head and neck of this bird are bright crimson ; 
back, wing-coverts, primaries, and tail-feathers black, 
with blue reflections ; rump and secondaries white, 
the shafts of the latter black ; breast and under parts 
white tinged with yellowish-brown ; an irregular 
transverse band of black between the crimson of the 
neck and the white of the breast : length of the bird 
nine inches. 
Of the species which are natives of America the 
Downy AYoodpecker {JDeiidrocopus puhescens) is the 
smallest in size, and, from its habit of boring and 
digging into apple-trees, has been considered by Buflbn 
and some other naturalists as the most destructive of 
its whole genus to the orchards. The American 
ornithologists, however, AYilson and Audubon, do 
