134 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS 



peckers started prospecting- the tree on Thursday, May 

 24th. Boring- commenced on Friday, and by Saturday 

 the hole was deep enough to conceal the borers. On 

 Sunday, May 27th, they worked all day, bringing- up, at 

 short intervals, great beaks-full of excavation, which they 

 ejected far into air — quite a couple of feet, or more. So 

 hard did they work, that, after each discharge, the bird 

 would cling - , gasping - , with open beak, outside the 

 entrance. No chips were put out, nor any tapping- heard 

 after Monday (28th), so I presume nest was then finished. 

 I first heard the young - birds (inside the hole) on June 

 25th. On July 5th and 6th they were notably noisy, 

 but on the 7th had disappeared." The date of fledging 

 was thus three days earlier than that before cited. 



Miss Taylor kindly writes me, that in the beautiful 

 woods of Chipchase, on North Tyne (opposite Nunwick) 

 ■ — "One pair of woodpeckers nested in 1898, two pairs 

 in 1899 and 1900. One pair in each of the two succeed- 

 ing - years, but none the next. Two pairs bred in 1904, 

 and one in 1905, but this year (1906) there are none." 



Tree-Creeper. — This, although not allied to the wood- 

 peckers, is of analogous habitat, and abounds in all the 

 Border woodlands. At Houxty it frequents some large 

 ash-trees close outside, and its sprightly movements can be 

 watched at a few yards' distance. Round the big bole, it 

 runs with half-spread wings and mouse-like agility — now 

 stopping to explore some horizontal bough, anon re- 

 suming its spiral ascent till the topmost branch is 

 reached. Thence, like a stone, it drops to the base of 

 the next big tree, to repeat thereon the tireless search for 

 tiny insect and larvae. On occasion, the creeper even enters 

 the house — coming into the porch, where some small trees 

 and shrubs grow in pots, and which seem to be considered 



