Summer Birds of the Redwoods. 



A short search in the redwoods revealed 

 the singer, which proved to be a male 

 pine-finch pouring forth his love song. 

 To the ears of his devoted spouse it 

 was, no doubt, sweeter far than the 

 melodious tones of the thrush, and so, I 

 trust, it served every purpose in sweet- 

 ening these two fair lives. 



Perhaps the most interesting of our 

 redwood birds are the woodpeckers. 

 Their lives are so completely apart from 

 the rest of the bird world that they 

 seem to dwell in a realm of their own. 

 They are inhabitants of the bark of the 

 trees, and from morning to night devote 

 themselves to exploring its every cranny 

 and crevice. Note their strong spear 

 beaks; their stiff pointed tails with 

 which to brace themselves against the 

 tree trunk ; their toes, two in front and 

 two behind, to give them a firmer hold 

 in climbing; their thin necks, and bright, 

 alert eyes. What a wonderful adapta- 

 tion of structure to environment ! With 

 sharp, nervous, decisive blows the wood- 



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