Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-11-15
Beecham's
Pills.

which can be projected for CONSIDER
able distance beyond the mandib'es Has
a sharp. horny. barbed tip designea
for spearing and drawing out the m
sects and larvae as fast as they are I'M
covered.
To protect the brain from the violent
jolting to which it would otherwise or
subjected, it is covered with tough
and elastic membrane. Altogether,
woodpeckers have been well PROVIDED
for, and they seem to show their appre-
citation of benefits received by the ell
thusiasm they put into their work.
Even the small species, IKE the
downy, hairy and red-headed wood
peckers, are very Industrious, and DO
a great deal of work for their size. but
il is the work of pigmies when com
pared with the achievements OF the
giants of the family.
Not long ago l saw a tree which had
been worked on" by ploeated WOOD
pecker or logcoch. and even Tor one
familiar with the species, II was oifn-
cult to believe that any bird could 90
so much hard work.
The trunk was about two feet In Ill
ameter and the wood. although 0ead,
was quite solid. a channel seVerai
iches wide. and deep enough 10 ieach
the heart of the tree, extended fouhu
the trunk in spiral. for a distance OF
e,.xeral feet. The woodpecker had cone
as much work as would have been nee
essary to cut down three or four trees
OF the same size.
This splendid woodpecker which was
at one time to be found in wooded re-
gions throughout North America, Is
now rare bird in most parts OF It's
range. In the cypress swamps OF some
of the southern states it is. stilI COM
mon, but in many localities II has been
completely exterminated.
The great Wilson, in whose time this
woodpecker was common bird, thus
pays tribute to it's proves: Almost
every old trunk in the forest, where he
resides, bears the marks of his chisel.
Wherever he perceives a tree going to
decay he examines it round and round
with great skill and dexterity, strips
off the bark in sheets of five or six feet
in length, to get al the hidden cause of
the disease. and labors with gayety
and activity really surprising. l have
81
the bark from large dead pine tree,
for 20 OF 80 feet, in less than a quarter
of an hour"
Eut even the pibeated woodpecker,
powerful as he is, is but a weakening
when compared with the great ivory
bill' which inhabits the cypress forests
of the South. This giant woodpecker.
which is 20 inches in length, is black
with conspicuous white markings and
with a large scarlet crest His ivory
white bill is an inch wide at the base.
over three inches long and strengthened
by beautiful fittings .T
One cannot appreciate what an eff
fective Instrument this is until he has
seen large trees with wagon loads of
bark and chips at their feet, and so
deeply excavated that they frequently
fall before a light wind. Fortunately,
this bird does not attack live trees: if
he did, he would be a powerful agent
for the destruction of timber.
Wilson fully appreciated the strength
and courage of this bird, and he had
every reason to. He once took cap
tive of this species to a hotel in VIII
mington, n. G., and his experience with
il he relates as follows:
Il took him upstairs, and locked him
in my room, while / went out to see nv
horse taken care OF. In less than an
hour | returned, and on opening the
door he set up the same distressing
shout, which now appeared to proceed
from grief that he had been discovered
in his attempts to escape.
He had mounted along the side Of
the window. nearly as high as the cell
ing. little below which he had begun
to break through. The bed was COW
cred with large pieces of plaster; the
lath was exposed for at least Is inches
square, and hole large enough to adj
init the first opened TO the weather
boards; so that, in less than aonther
hour he would certainly have succeed
ed in making his way through
Il now tied string TO his leg and,
fastening il to the table, again left him.
AS reascended the stairs | heard him
again hard at work. and on entering
mad the modification TO perceive that
he had almost entirely ruined the ma :,
hogany table to which he was fastened,
and on which he had wreaked his
whole vengeance