WOODPECKERS. 37 



say that he runs up, and backs down the tree; for 

 he does not run head down, as the creeper and 

 some of its relations do. 



He is making little round holes in the bark of 

 the pepper tree. He has already made this tree 

 look very oddly marked, as if it were done on 

 purpose to show us what a fine wood-carver he is. 

 Some of the holes are in rows, and others scat- 

 tered or in imperfect rings. Many of them were 

 made some time ago, and are full of white sap, 

 now dried into white gum or resin. Woodpecker 

 picks this gum out, but he has better manners 

 than to chew it in company. Indeed, he never 

 does chew it at all. We suppose it melts or soft- 

 ens after it is swallowed, and digests. 



Some of the little holes in the bark are old and 

 black, and the bird finds nothing in them. He 

 simply peeps into them as he goes around, 

 making fresh holes, and taking gum from others. 

 He may imagine it was himself that stored the 

 white gum in the holes, as he is known to store 

 other things. The truth is, he simply bored the 

 hole, and the tree secreted the gum for him. 

 First it was juice, and then it congealed into wax. 

 You can taste it for yourself. You will wonder 

 what woodpecker wants of such gum as that. 



Some woodpeckers are thrifty. They have a 



