BLIND WOODPECKER 163 



room window, and rejoicing in the beauty of 

 Tom's new wife, when I perceived on the lawn 

 below, not far from the path, a very large bird 

 pecking and pulling at the grass, and staggering 

 or waddling about in a very strange manner, and 

 going backwards every now and then. On bring- 

 ing my glass to bear on it, I perceived (as I had 

 thought beforehand) that it was a green wood- 

 pecker a very handsome one too. I watched it 

 a long time ; it seemed dreadfully hungry, and it 

 evidently found great stores of ants. Presently a 

 girl carne up the path with a note, and passed 

 close to it ; the bird took no notice, and when she 

 put her hand nearly on it, it just jumped away a 

 few paces and fed on. So by-and-by I sent my 

 servant down to see it, as she did not know 

 the bird. She walked up close to it quite 

 quietly, and it took not the smallest notice. My 

 curiosity was excited, so I wrapped up well and 

 went down gently to it, and stood beside it for 

 some time, admiring its red crest and wondering. 

 Then I put on my spectacles and stooped down to 

 look more nearly at the mystery, and behold it 

 was blind ! When my head was near, it felt some- 

 thing, and turned its head to bring the other eye 

 to bear on me, and then retreated a few steps, so 

 I think perhaps it could see a little with one 

 eye. I could not see that it had been wounded or 



