The Pileated Woodpecker.
BY J. W. JACOBS, WAYNESBURG, PA.
On April 24th, I was passing through a large patch of woods, taking note of all the bird life I could see, when I noticed a large hole near the top of a “snag.” I went a little closer, and then I saw that the hole was too large for a Red-head (M. erythrocephalus) or a Flicker (C. auratus).
I went up to the tree; there was a great pile of chips on the ground; I hammered on the tree, and a Pileated Woodpecker (Hylotomus pileatus) flew out, I climbed up, but owing to the tree being high, smooth bark and no limbs at all, I could not stick, so I resolved to call again, better prepared for an attack on the tree.
On the 28th, I started out to procure the set of eggs, if there proved to be any in the nest. Everything went well until I reached the tree, and there I could see that the hand of destruction had visited H. pileatus, for the tree was stretched out upon the ground.
Two wood-choppers had been in the woods the day before, making rails; they saw the old bird fly from her nest, and of course, through curiosity, they cut the tree down to see what the eggs looked like. I found the pieces of three or four egg-shells, and probably there were more. I did not find out how many they broke.
The hole was thirty-five feet from the ground, and such a fall as that would have broken a thousand eggs, had that number been in the cavity.
About two months later, I was in the vicinity of this tree, and saw in a neighboring tree a large hole resembling the first. I did not climb to the hole, for from all appearance, the brood had hatched and were gone. I think this hole was excavated by the same pair of birds.
On May 21st, I was collecting in a large strip of woods, about a quarter of a mile from town, when I saw in a live maple an excavation of H. pileatus. I climbed up and found the nest contained four young birds and one nearly fresh egg. This is a beautiful egg, glossy white, and measures 1.25×.95 inches.
During the time I was in the tree, both old birds were perched not far off, and every now and then would utter their harsh cackle.
Later in the season I found another nest of this bird; it was in a live maple, twenty feet from the ground. The young birds had flown.