Raccoons and Black Snakes are dangerous enemies to this bird. The
former frequently put one of their fore legs into the hole where it has
nestled or retired to rest, and if the hole be not too deep, draw out the
eggs and suck them, and frequently by the same means secure the bird
itself. The Black Snake contents itself with the eggs or young. Several
species of Hawks attack them on the wing, and as the Woodpeckers
generally escape by making for a hole in the nearest tree, it is pleasing to
see the disappointment of the Hawk, when, as it has just been on the point
of seizing the terrified bird, the latter dives, as it were, into the hole.
Should the Woodpecker not know of a hole near enough to afford it security,
it alights on a trunk, and moves round it with such celerity as
frequently to enable it to elude its pursuer.
Their flesh is esteemed good by many of the sportsmen of the Middle
Districts, and is frequently eaten. Some are now and then exposed in
the markets of New York and Philadelphia; but I look upon the flesh as
very disagreeable, it having a strong flavour of ants.
The neck of this species is larger than that of any other with which
I am acquainted, and consequently the skin of this bird is more easily
pulled over the head, which it is difficult to do in the other species, on
account of the slenderness of their neck, and the great size of the head.
P i c u s AUitATu s , Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 174—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 2 4 2—
Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 44.
CIOI.D-WINGED WOODPECKER Lath. Synops. vol. i i . p. 597-—Wils. Americ. Ornith.
vol. ii. p. 45. PI. iii. fig. 1. Male.
Adult Male. Plate XXXVII. Fig.l, 1, 1.
Bill slightly arched, strong, nearly as long as the head, compressed
at the tip, which is a little abrupt; upper mandible convex on the sides,
with acute, overlapping edges; lower mandible with acute, inflected edges,
the dorsal outline nearly straight, a little convex towards the end. Nostrils
basal, lateral, oval, partly covered by recumbent feathers. Head of
ordinary size. Neck shortish. Body ovate. Feet short, rather robust;
tarsus scutellate before, compressed; two toes before, and two behind,
scutellate above; claws compressed, arched, acute.
Plumage rather compact and imbricated, blended on the head and neck.
Wings longish, the third and fourth quills longest, the secondmuch shorter,
the first very small. Tail of ordinary length, rounded, consisting of ten
broad feathers, worn to an elongated tip by being rubbed against the bark
of trees.
Bill brown above and at the tip, light blue beneath. Iris light brown.
Feet greyish-blue. Upper part of the head and hind neck light purplishgrey
; a transverse band of scarlet on the lower part of the occiput. Upper
parts generally light greenish-brown, spotted with black; the lower
back white, the tail-coverts of the same colour, spotted with black. Primaries
brownish-black, their shafts, as are those of all the large feathers,
orange. Tail brownish-black. Sides of the head and fore neck light
brownish-red, tinged with grey. A black streak along each side of the
throat, and a lunated patch of the same across the fore part of the breast.
The rest of the breast reddish-white, spotted with black, as are the lighter
coloured abdomen and under tail-coverts. Under surface of the wings
and tail of a fine rich yellow.
Length 12£ inches, extent of wings 16; bill along the ridge 1^, along
the gap I f ; tarsus 1£, middle toe 1 | .
Adult Female. Plate XXXVII. Fig. % %
The female differs chiefly in wanting the black streaks on the throat,
in having the lunulated spot on the breast smaller, and in being somewhat
duller in the tints of the plumage generally.
Dimensions nearly the same.
N %