Hairy Woodpecker 193 



cats ; then watch for the downy woodpecker's 

 and the chickadee's visits to your free-lunch 

 counter. 



HAIRY WOODPECKER 



Light woods, with plenty of old trees in them, 

 suit this busy carpenter better than orchards or 

 trees close to our homes, for he is more shy than 

 his sociable little cousin, downy, whom he as 

 closely resembles in feathers as in habits. He 

 is three inches longer, however, yet smaller than 

 a robin. In spite of his name, he is covered 

 with black and white feathers, not hairs. He 

 has a hairy stripe only down the middle of his 

 broadly striped back. 



After he and his mate have decided to go to 

 housekeeping, they select a tree — a hoUow- 

 hearted or partly decayed one is preferred — and 

 begin the hard work of cutting out a deep cavity. 

 Try to draw freehand a circle by making a 

 series of dots, as the woodpecker outlines his 

 round front door, and see, if you please, whether 

 you can make so perfect a ring. Downy 's en- 

 trance need be only an inch and a half across; 

 the hairy 's must be a little larger, and the 

 flicker requires a hole about four inches in 

 diameter to admit his big body. Both mates 

 work in turn at the nest hole. How the chips 

 fly! Braced in position by stiff tail feathers and 



