36 WESTERN SERIES OF READERS. 



tween spells, and this gives us time to walk closer. 

 Our great American bird student, Audubon, tells 

 this story of the woodpecker as he knew the 

 bird:- 



"When alighted on a fence-stake by the road 

 or in a field, and one approaches them, they 

 gradually move sidewise out of sight, peeping now 

 and then to discover your intention. When you 

 are quite close and opposite, the birds will lie still 

 until- you have passed, when they hop to the top 

 of the stake and rattle upon it with their bill, as if 

 well pleased with their trick. Should you ap- 

 proach within arm's-length, which you may often 

 do, the woodpecker flies to the next stake, bends 

 his head to peep, and rattles again, as if to invite 

 you to go on with the game. He alights on the 

 roof of the house, goes along it, beats the shingles, 

 utters a cry, and dives down into your garden to 

 help himself to your best strawberries." 



When our woodpecker flies, he looks as if he 

 wears a white gown, with a black cloak thrown 

 over his shoulders, and a crimson cap on his 

 head. As for his eyes, they are white or pink, 

 and they look so droll, something like the eyes of 

 the blackbirds on the lawn. 



Now he is running up and down and all around 

 a pepper tree in the front garden. We should 



