BRITISH BIRDS. 
u ly employ their courage or addrefs, and either 
u Ihoot on rapid wing or lurk in clofe ambufh, the 
u Woodpecker is conftrained to drag out an infipid 
exillence in boring the bark and hard fibres of 
u trees to extract its humble prey. Neceflity ne- 
u ver fufFers any intermifiion of its labours, never 
“ grants an interval of found repofe ; often during 
“ the night it fleeps in the fame painful pofiure as 
“ in the fatigues of the day. It never fiiares the 
“ fports of the other inhabitants of the air, it joins- 
“ not their vocal concerts, and its wild cries and 
“ faddening tones, while they difturb the filence of 
tc the foreft, exprefs confiraint and effort : Its 
<c movements are quick, its geftures full of inquie- 
u tude, its looks coarfe and vulgar ; it Ihuns all fo- 
“ ciety, even that of its own kind ; and when it is 
u prompted to feek a companion, its appetite is not 
u foftened by delicacy of feeling.’’ 
I 2 
