Litchfield enquirer., 1831-11-24

and with unfailing regularity.
 Journal of Agric~Aur. CARPENTER BIRDS.
 These birds form distinct class by themselves. Of these the woodpeckers may be said to be the masters, especially those distinguished by the ivory bill.- Were we merely to judge from the bill a. lone, we should be disposed to consider the ivory billed woodpecker (picus principalis) the prince of the carpenter birds. This powerful instrument is as white and much tougher. if not harder than ivory, and ele- gantly fiuted. With this he can dig into the hardest trees, either for food or nesting. In the tow countries of the Carolinas, this bird usually prefers the large timbered cy- prus swamps for breeding in: and in the trunk m one of these trees, at a considera- ble height, the male and female alternate ly, and in conjunction, dig out large and capacious cavity for their eggs and young. Trees thus dug out have frequently been cut down with sometimes the eggs and young in them; the hole being said to be generally little winding, the better to keep out the weather, and from two to five feet deep. The labor of digging out hole of such dimensions may be considered al- most beyond the execution of these birds !; but, when we consider some of their other teats in carpentry, the fact does not appear in the toast surprising. Wilson gives the following interesting history of one which he captured ;-'' The first place. says he, "I observedAtif bird at, when on my way to the South, was about twelve miles north of Wilmington, in North Carolina. This bird was only wounded slightly in the wing, and, on being caught. uttered a loud, reiterated, and most piteous note, exactly resembling the violent crying of young child. which terrified my horse so as near- ly to have cost me my life. carried it with me, in the chair, under cover, to Will mington. In passing through the streets, it's affecting cries surprised every one within hearing, particularly the females, who hurried to the door and windows, with looks of alarm and anxiety. l drove on, and arriving at the piazza of the hotel where I intended to put up, the landlord came forward, and number of persons who happened be there, all equally alarm ed at what they heard. This was greatly increased, by my asking whether he could furnish mo with accommodations for my- self and baby. The man looked blank and foolish, while the others stared with still greater astonishment. After divertine myself minute or two at their expense, drew my woodpecker from under the cover and general laugh took place. took him up stairs and locked him up in my room while l went to see my horse taken care of. In less than an hour I returned, and on opening the door, he sat up the same distressing shout, which now appeared to proceed from grief that he had been dis- covered in his attempts to escape. He had mounted along the side of the window near ly as high as the ceiling, little below which he had begun to break through. The bed was covered with large pieces of plaster, the lath was exposed for at least fifteen inches square, and hole large enough to admit the fist to the weather boards: so that, in less than another hour he would have succeeded in making his way through. I now tied a string round his leg, and fastening it to the table, again left him. wished to preserve his life, and had gone off in search of suitable food for him. As reascended the stairs, I heard him again hard at work, and on en- tering, had the modification to perceive that he had almost entirely ruined the ma hogany table to which he was fastened, on which he had wrecked his whole venge- ance. While engaged in taking draw ing of him, he cut me severely in several pls- ces, and on the whole, displayed such no- ble and unconquerable spirit that I was free lquently tempted to restore him to his na- tive woods. He lived with me nearly three days, but refused all sustenance, and witnessed his death with regret. The head and bill of this bird are in great esteem among tho southern Indians, who wear them by way of amulet and charm, as well as ornament, and, it issaid, dispose of them Ito the northern tribes ae considerable pri-