BIRD LIFE IX AN OLD APPLE-TREE 39 



at least a dozen broods of the great crested flycatcher, 

 and robins and bluebirds in proportion. It carries 

 up one large decayed trunk, which some one sawed 

 off at the top before my time, and in this a downy 

 woodpecker is now, January 12, making a home. 

 Several years ago, a downy woodpecker excavated a 

 retreat in this branch, which the following season 

 was appropriated by the bluebirds, and has been 

 occupied by them nearly every season since. When 

 the bluebirds first examined the cavity in the 

 spring, I suppose they did not find the woodpecker 

 at home, as he is a pretty early riser. 



I happened to be passing near the tree when, on 

 again surveying the premises one afternoon, they 

 found him in. The male bluebird was very angry, 

 and I suppose looked upon the innocent downy 

 as an intruder. He seized on him, and the two fell 

 to the ground, the speckled woodpecker quite cov- 

 ered by the blue coat of his antagonist. Downy 

 screamed vigorously, and got away as soon as he 

 could, but not till the bluebird had tweaked out a 

 feather or two. He is evidently no fighter, though 

 one would think that a bird that had an instrument 

 with which it could drill a hole into a tree could 

 defend itself against the soft-billed bluebird. 



Two seasons the English sparrows ejected the 

 bluebirds and established themselves in it, but 

 were in turn ejected by me , their furniture of hens' 

 feathers and straws pitched out, and the bluebirds 



