272 Discovery of some Nests of the Black Woodpecker. 



a tree within fifteen yards of our heads, where she remained for 

 a few moments, and then swung round to the other side, from 

 which position she kept peeping at us, as is their wont, but 

 without uttering the peculiar cry. 



There now remained the second nest, the taking of which was 

 still doubtful, as I was determined on no account to have the 

 tree felled, after the results in the last instance. Noon found us 

 all assembled, and the ladder quite ready. It was an ingenious 

 affair, constructed of two young fir-trees joined at intervals of 

 four feet by cross bars passing through the flanks, beyond which 

 they projected some distance. There was neither nail nor peg 

 in it, and the whole had been made on the spot by the woodman 

 and his comrade with axe and borer. The length of it was about 

 40 feet. Nothing now remained but to rear it. This was done, 

 after the thin end of the ladder had been placed against the 

 tree, by means of two notched poles, which were fitted, one into 

 either flank of the ladder, as it rested. The flanks were then 

 gradually raised, each by two men, whilst the others pushed 

 against the heavy end; so that as the first four increased the 

 elevation of the ladder, the second party kept diminishing the 

 distance between its base and the base of the tree upon which 

 the weight was principally thrown, until the ladder itself stood 

 at an angle of about 80° from the ground with the top round 

 still under the hole. The woodman then went up, and announced 

 to my dismay that there were young ones in this nest also. 

 After satisfying myself, by inspection, of the truth of his state- 

 ment, I directed him to enlarge the hole sufficiently for us to see 

 what they were like, which he proceeded to do, after first se- 

 curing the top of the ladder by means of a rope. Before this was 

 done, the ascent was very ticklish work. The axe revealed to us 

 four young ones, half-grown and very vicious, being well able 

 and willing to use their bills upon intruding fingers. One was 

 taken to secure a specimen of the bird in this stage, which was 

 not much after all our trouble ; the other three were left poking 

 then* ugly heads out of the window so unceremoniously made in 

 their habitation. The rope was then untied, the ladder thrown 

 down and broken, and the storming party prepared to move off 

 to different parts of the forest according to their several destiua- 



