STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. 169 



the piazza of the hotel, where I intended to 

 put up, the landlord came forward, and a num- 

 ber of other persons who happened to be there, 

 all equally alarmed at what they heard. This 

 was greatly increased by my asking whether 

 he could furnish me with accommodations for 

 myself and my babj^ The man looked blank 

 and foolish, while the others stared with still 

 greater astonishment. After diverting mj^self 

 for a minute or two at their expense, I drew 

 my woodpecker from under the cover, and a 

 general laugh took place. I took him up stairs 

 and locked him up in my room, while I went 

 to see my horse taken care of In less than an 

 hour I returned, and on my opening the door, 

 he set up the same distressing shout, which 

 now appeared to proceed from grief that he 

 had been discovered in his attempts to escape. 

 He had mounted along the side of the window, 

 nearly as high as the ceiling, a little below 

 which he had begun to break through. The 

 bed was covered with large pieces of plaster. 

 Tlie lath was exposed for at least fifteen inches 

 square, and a hole large enough to admit the 

 fist, opened to the weatherboard ; so that in 

 less than another hour he would certainly have 

 succeeded in making his ^^ay through. I riow 

 tied a string round his leg, and fastening it to 



15 



