WOODPECKERS 283 



time the eggs of this species were deposited and my books and 

 papers furnished no assistance. With some misgivings I delayed 

 visiting the nest until the 28th; I found the bird on the nest; 

 a rap on the trunk brought her to the entrance, and as I started 

 to climb she left, flying out of sight without uttering a sound. 

 A slight noise proceeded from the cavity and by using a small 

 mirror, I could see the chicks were just struggling from the 

 shells. There were four eggs apparently about equal in size. 

 I left at once and did not visit the nest again that season. 



I made several visits to the grove early in May, '96, but no 

 birds were seen there, though in the larger growth beyond I 

 several times saw a bird calling and rapping. On the 11th I 

 located a hole in a dead beech standing not far from the tree 

 in which the brood had been reared the season previous. The 

 hole was occupied, but so small a portion of the head protruded 

 that I could not be sure that it was the bird I was looking for. 

 All efforts to dislodge the bird failed, so I strapped on my climb- 

 ing irons and ascended. When half way up the tree the bird, 

 with erected crest and expanded wings, sailed from the nest 

 to a tree near, from that to another, and so on until out of 

 sight. The nest contained two eggs. On the 15th I again 

 went to the nest and found the male there. I was within ten 

 feet of the nest before he left the hole, and he lit near, staying 

 within three rods of the nest, moving occasionally from one 

 tree to another and tapping in a desultory way on the trunk 

 all the time seemingly indifferent to my presence. The nest 

 now contained three eggs, which appeared fresh and were left. 

 I hardly reached the base of the stub before the male alighted 

 at the entrance and after repeated inquiring glances within, 

 entered. On the 20th I was again at the nest. This time the 

 bird flew directly out of sight when I was part way up the stub 

 The nest hole was near the top of the stub, about 34i feet above 

 the ground. The cavity was large, being wider at the top, 

 tapering gradually toward the bottom. The entrance was four 

 inches in diameter and did not enter more than two inches 



