File:The illustrated natural history (microform) (1863) (20019758303).jpg

Title: The illustrated natural history (microform)
Identifier: cihm_50038 (find matches)
Year: 1863 (1860s)
Authors: Wood, J. G. (John George), 1827-1889
Subjects: Birds; Natural history; Oiseaux; Sciences naturelles
Publisher: London : Routledge, Warne, and Routledge
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Text Appearing Before Image:
oGO THE RED-IIEADED WOODPECKER
Text Appearing After Image:
1 â " This species, althougli mostly found ân trees, is a frequent visitor to the m'ound whoro It finds abundance of food. Ants' nests are said to forn. a great attraction to o Z AVoodpecker winch feasts merrily at the expense of the insect community I rim autumn, ,t also lives on vegetable food, being especially fond of nuts, which it ca, e⢠' jnthout any difficulty by repeated strokes from its bilf The nest of'thJ WoodiSC! like that ot the other species, a mere heap of s..ft decaying wood at the bottom of am',' dug by the birds, or adapted to their use from an already existin- cavity "vn. It â¢^"^""""^ «f tl.is species is very pretty. The top of the head is bright scarlet an,l .on the base ot the beak starts a kind of moustache, black, with a scark^t centre 1 Mho e of the upper surface is dark green, mixed with yellow, changing to sulphur-VoI, on the upper tai -coverts. The primaries are greyish black spottecl with wh te a. d secondaries and tertials are green on their outer webs, and grey-Wack spotted with â¢) on the inner. The stiff tail-feathers are greyish black, vaHegated with some ba^^s ' hgh er hue ; and the throat, chest, and all the under surface are ashen green. The coW 1 !' n "i '^^-^ ^'«^-"y Wack. The female may be known froin her ma e byZ Molly back moustache, and the smaller ornament of scarlet on the head. In he you birds of both sexes, the scarlet of the head is mottled with black and yellow, heC, feathers of the back are yellow at their tips, and the under surface is dull bro^^ ish wl with streaks and bar.s of greyish black. The total length of this bird rather 'xS one foot The other JJr.t.sh species are the Great )'.lack Woodpecker (DrndcopusmS t le Nort U3rn Three-toed Woodpecker (P^Ji'^e. tnddct^lu^i), and the Lesse-^- sffted 2 PFrd^f", ^'""'"'T T""!- 'P^'^f °^*^^ ^'"â '^⢠'â¢Â°"S ^^' t^>e Red-headed Wood- PECKEU deserves a short notice, as being a good representative of the Black Woodp ke" It IS one of the commonest of American birds, bold, fearless of man and cv i ven unng withm the invc.ncts of towns. The habits of this bird are wdl oh Audubon andUilson. The former author remarks of this bird: "When al it( fon fence stake by the road, or in a field, and one approaches them, they gidymov sldeways out of sight, peeping now and then to discover your intuition, 11â¢^; are quite close and opposite, he still until you have passed,\vhen they hop to the op the stake, and rattle iq.on it with their bill, as if to congratulate themselvel on tl e .sS e nni h'T'T- f^'"!)*^ you approach M-ithin arm's length, which inay freVionly done, the A\ oodpecker Hies to the first stake or the second from you, bends his h" 1 peep and rat les again, as if to provoke you to continuance of ^vhaLe ms to h m excdl sport. He ahgh s on the roof of the house, hoj.s along it, beats the shingl^^s utte cry, and dives into your garden to pick the finest strawberries he can discove" " _ Every one who has had practical experience of this bird agrees that it is vcw nisduevous in a garden ; and even Wilson, whose kind heart would hardly pern it him o see that any feathered creature c'euhl be hurtful to man, is forced to admit tha i oh le i "S^l mSir::;.!^ "f f '" '" ^^r"^^ ^^ â " ^^'^^^^^^ «^ thankfulness to i^e^Z^l eat ng so niaiiy grubs 'Wherever there is a tree or trees of the wild ciierrv" writes \Vil.son, "covered with ripe fruit, there you see them busy among the Uranc les' a ?^ r. "l f â â ' "'â "â¢'"â¢,^^"'."^ t^' I"l-lK-aded Woodpecker is skulking, "fov I, by him. It i,s sure to be among the rip.>,st and best-llavouivd ; wIku alarme.l, he sm« a capital one by striking Ins op.n bill deep info it, and bears it off to the woods \\ lieu tlu; In.han corn is in its ricii, succulent, milky state, lie attacks it with ",vi,t Mitii voiacit). Ihe girdh-.l or d.-adened timber, so common amâng cornfi,,.lds in the liack sett emni s, are his fayuunte ivtivats, whenee he sallies out to make his de Jred t m tit \r, 1 ..iV:. ;'â â¢';' "t'" ^r'VT,"."'""*' ^'^y' l>'-^'«yi-ej;ular visits totliechorrv- a.ui in â i 1 ' \ ^r^'f ^V"" "^'^ »PP'â¢^'1'^« the barn or farniiion.'e, a 1 .d ⢠. ^;"/fl'%">i'l weather-boards. He is of a gay ami frolicsome disposition. and halt a dozen ot the Iratemity are frequently seen diving and vociferating aroiui,! th. kb

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