IN THE ORCHARD 277 



sympathies are always enlisted on the side of 

 the culprit. For is it not quite necessary that 

 he be well fed at this season that he may be pre- 

 pared to withstand the rigors of the fast ap- 

 proaching winter? To hz sure he could feed upon 

 the buds of maple and birch in the nearby wood, 

 but these lack the delicate flavor of apple buds, 

 and with birds, as men, variety adds spice to 

 existence. And it may be that the element of 

 adventure is not wholly unattractive to these 

 hardy citizens. 



Every day Downy Woodpeckers beat lively 

 tattoos here, and the tree trunks bear many 

 autographs of these very useful birds, worked 

 in the rough bark with great regularity. Not 

 only do they find various insects concealed in 

 the outer covering, but drilling this they seek 

 the delicate inner layer, the soft and juicy 

 cambium, which is a favorite food. Orchard 

 owners are inclined to the belief that the numer- 

 ous punctures injure the trees; but such is not 

 the case unless the rows of holes, girdling the 

 tree, shut off the flow of sap, a condition which 

 rarely occurs. The Downies live close by, and 

 the journey, being short, is often made. 



In the warm spring days the orchard is the 

 scene of much love making. In early April the 

 male Downy, he of the red nape, ''turns his 

 thoughts to love," and not having the gift of 

 song with which to woo a mate attempts to 

 drum her up. For this purpose he seeks a dead, 

 dry limb that will resound tunefully to the ap- 

 plication of his drumstick, and his rolling tattoo 

 U often heard* 



