216 
THE IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. 
cross a large river, which it does in deep undulations, opening its wings at 
first to their full extent, and nearly closing them to renew the propelling 
impulse. The transit from one tree to another, even should the distance be 
as much as a hundred yards, is performed by a single sweep, and the bird 
appears as if merely swinging itself from the top of the one tree to that of 
the other, forming an elegantly curved line. At this moment all the beauty 
of the plumage is exhibited, and strikes the beholder with pleasure. It never 
utters any sound whilst on wing, unless during the love-season ; but at all 
other times, no sooner has this bird alighted than its remarkable voice is 
heard, at almost every leap which it makes, whilst ascending against the 
upper parts of the trunk of a tree, or its highest branches. Its notes are 
clear, loud, and yet rather plaintive. They are heard at a considerable 
distance, perhaps half a mile, and resemble the false high note of a clarionet. 
They are usually repeated three times in succession, and may be represented 
by the monosyllable pait, pait, pait. These are heard so frequently as to 
induce me to say that the bird spends few minutes of the day without utter- 
ing them, and this circumstance leads to its destruction, which is aimed at, 
not because (as is supposed by some) this species is a destroyer of trees, but 
more because it is a beautiful bird, and its rich scalp attached to the upper 
mandible forms an ornament for the war-dress of most of our Indians, or for 
the shot-pouch of our squatters and liunters, by all of whom the bird is shot 
merely for that purpose. 
Travellers of all nations are also fond of possessing the upper part of the 
head and the bill of the male, and I have frequently remarked, that on a 
steamboat’s reaching what we call a woodmg-place, the strangers were very 
apt to pay a quarter of a dollar for two or three heads of this Woodpecker 
I have seen entire belts of Indian chiefs closely ornamented with the tufts 
and bills of this species, and have observed that a great value is frequently 
put upon them. 
The Ivory-billed Woodpecker nestles earlier in spring than any other 
species of its tribe. I have observed it boring a hole for that purpose in the 
beginning of March. The hole is, I believe, always made in the trunk of a 
live tree, generally an ash or a hackberry, and is at a great height. The 
birds pay great regard to the particular situation of the tree, and the inclina- 
tion of its trunk ; first, because they prefer retirement, and again, because 
they are anxious to secure the aperture against the access of water during 
beating rains. To prevent such a calamity, the hole is generally dug imme- 
diately under the junction of a large branch with the trunk. It is first bored 
horizontally for a few inches, then directly downwards, and not in a spiral 
manner, as some people liave_ imagined. According to circumstances, this 
cavity is more or less deep, being sometimes not more than ten inches, 
