B32 BY-WAYS AND BIRD-NOTES. 
that I reached the determination that it was 
my duty to rob that nest in the interest of 
knowledge. It was the first opportunity I ever 
had had to examine an occupied nest of the 
Campephilus principalis, and I felt that it was 
scarcely probable that I should ever again be 
favored with such a chance. With the aid of 
my Cracker host, I erected a rude ladder and 
climbed up into the hole. It was almost 
exactly circular, and nearly five inches in di- 
ameter. With a little axe I began break- 
ing and hacking away the crust of hard outer 
wood. The cavity descended with a slightly 
spiral course, widening a little as it proceeded. 
I had followed it nearly five feet when I found 
a place where it was contracted again, and im- 
mediately below was a sudden expansion, at 
the bottom of which was the nest. Five 
beautiful pure white eggs of the finest old- 
china appearance, delicate, almost transparent, 
exceedingly fragile, and; to “the eyes ores 
collector, vastly valuable, lay in a shallow 
bowl of fine chips. But in breaking away the 
last piece of wood-crust, I jerked it a little too 
hard, and those much coveted prizes rolled out 
and fell to the ground. Of course they were 
“hopelessly crushed,” and my feelings with 
them. I would willingly have fallen in their 
stead, if the risk could have saved the eggs. 
I descended ruefully enough, hearing as I did 
so the loud cry of Campephilus battling around 
in the jungle. Once or twice more I went 
back to the spot in early morning, but my 
birds did not appear. I made minute exami- 
nation of the rifled nest, and also tore out the 
other excavation, so as to compare the two. 
They were very much alike, especially in the 
