RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. 
573 
veys the extensive landscape, and almost with the same 
reverberating sound as his blows, at intervals, he utters 
a loud and solitary ’cur’rh in a tone as solemn as the 
tolling of the Campanero ; he thus hearkens, as it were, 
to the shrill echoes of his own voice, and for an hour at a 
time, seems alone employed in contemplating, in cher- 
ished solitude and security, the beauties and blessings 
of the rising day. 
The nest, early in April, is usually made in some lofty 
branch ; and in this necessary labor both the sexes unite 
to dig out a circular cavity for the purpose, sometimes 
out of the solid wood, but more commonly into a hollow 
limb. The eggs, about 5, are white, and the young 
appear towards the close of May or early in June, climb- 
ing out upon the higher branches of the tree, where they 
are fed and reared until able to fly, though in the mean 
time from their exposure they often fall a prey to prowl- 
ing Hawks. They probably raise two broods in the 
season ; and may be considered, like the rest of their 
insect-devouring fraternity, as useful scavengers for the 
protection of the forest, their attacks, as might be rea- 
sonably expected, being always confined to decaying 
trees, which alone afford the prey for which they probe. 
This species is about 10^ inches in length, and about 17 in alar 
extent. The vent and femorals are dull- white, marked in their 
centres with heart and arrow shaped spots of blackish. Wings and 
back crossed with numerous bars of black and white ; rump 
white, spotted with black. Tail of 10 feathers, the middle ones 
black, their interior vanes white, crossed with diagonal spots of 
black ; the next four feathers on each side are black, the outer edges 
of the exterior ones barred with black and white, the extremities, 
except the outer feathers, are black, sometimes touched with yel- 
lowish white. Legs bluish-green. Bill bluish-black. Irides red. 
