HOW THE WOODPECKER MAKES A HOUSE 21 



have pecked through the weatherboarding of a 

 house to nest in the space between the walls. 



But because a bird nests in a hole in a tree, 

 it is not necessarily a woodpecker. The sparrow- 

 hawk, the house sparrow, the tree swallow, the 

 bluebird, most species of wrens, and several of 

 the smaller species of owls nest either in natural 

 cavities in trees or in deserted woodpeckers' holes. 

 The chickadees, the crested titmice, and the nut- 

 hatches dig their own holes after the same pat- 

 tern as the woodpecker's. However, the large, 

 round holes were all made by woodpeckers, and 

 of those under two inches in diameter, our friend 

 Downy made his full share. It is easy to tell 

 who made the hole, for the different birds have 

 different styles of housekeeping. The chick- 

 adees and nuthatches always build a soft Httle 

 nest of grass, leaves, and feathers, while the 

 woodpeckers lay their eggs on a bed of chips, 

 and carry nothing in from outside. 



Soon after they have mated in the spring, the 

 woodpeckers begin to talk of housekeeping. 

 First, a tree must be chosen. It may be sound or 

 partly decayed, one of a clump or solitary ; but 

 it is usually dead or hollow-hearted, and at least 

 partly surrounded by other trees. Sometimes a 

 limb is chosen, sometimes an upright trunk, and 

 the nest may be from two feet to one hundred 



