A JOLLY RED-HEAD. 129 



hatred of him, especially when he comes into the 

 neighborhood of their nests. 



Speaking of bluebirds in connection with the 

 red-head, reminds me of a curious freak of bird- 

 behavior that I observed one day in July. I was 

 strolling along the banks of a small creek, when I 

 saw a male bluebird sitting on a limb of an apple- 

 tree, while only a few feet away, a red-head was 

 busy at work in a cavity of the trunk (which he 

 had evidently himself drilled), throwing out the 

 chips at a lively rate, and at intervals peeping 

 from the hole to see if the coast was clear. I 

 drove both birds away, and then watched them at 

 some distance. In a few minutes the bluebird was 

 again at his post, while his companion had gone 

 back into the cavity to ply his trade of carpentry 

 as before. 



What did it mean ? Was the bluebird playing 

 the r61e of sentinel for the red-head ? Or was the 

 woodpecker hewing out a home for the bluebird 

 by way of accommodation? Or was the bluebird 

 only biding his time until the cavity should be 

 done, when he intended to drive the busy toiler 

 away, and occupy the nest himself ? I have never 

 been able to come to a decision in the matter. 



One of the most curious antics I have ever seen 



