8 SHARP EYES. 
coast clear, she flew quickly to the box and pitched in 
her remaining straws with the greatest precipitation, 
and, without going in to arrange them, as was her 
wont, flew away in evident relief. 
In the cavity of an apple-tree but a few yards off, 
and much nearer the house than they usually build, 
a pair of high-holes, or golden-shafted woodpeckers, 
took up their abode. A knot-hole which led to the 
decayed interior was enlarged, the live wood being cut 
away as clean as a squirrel would have done it. The 
inside preparations I could not witness, but day after 
day, as I passed near, I heard the bird hammering 
away, evidently beating down obstructions and shap- 
ing and enlarging the cavity. The chips were not 
brought out, but were used rather to floor the interior. 
The woodpeckers are not nest-builders, but rather 
nest-carvers. 
The time seemed very short before the voices of the 
young were heard in the heart of the old tree,— at 
first feebly, but waxing stronger day by day until 
they could be heard many rods distant. When I put 
my hand upon the trunk of the tree, they would set 
up an eager, expectant chattering; but if I climbed 
up it toward the opening, they soon detected the un- 
usual sound and would hush quickly, only now and 
then uttering a warning note. Long before they were 
fully fledged they clambered up to the orifice to re- 
ceive their food. As but one could stand in the open- 
ing ata time, there was a good deal of elbowing and 
struggling for this position. It was a very desirable 
one aside from the advantages it had when food was 
served ; it looked out upon the great shining world, 
into which the young birds seemed never tired of gaz- 
ing. The fresh air must have been a consideration 
