WOODPECKER. 107 



carefully cleansed from all impurities, otherwise 

 the bees are liable to desert it on the return of 

 warm weather. The common house mouse is also 

 an enemy. 



TOADS. 



The toad will frequently visit a hive in the dusk 

 of the evening, and either catch the bees as they 

 cluster on the outside, or catch those that accident- 

 ally drop on the ground ; to prevent which, have the 

 hive elevated one or two feet, and in such a manner 

 that they cannot climb up to it ; or they may be forc- 

 ibly ejected from the premises, and placed where 

 their services are more particularly needed. 



BIRDS OP CALIFORNIA. 



I have not noticed any kind of birds whatever 

 catching bees in California, yet there may be some 

 that do. 



WOODPECKER. 



The red-headed woodpecker of the Atlantic 

 States is an inveterate bee-catcher, and is perhaps 

 the only one of the bird tribe that should be exe- 

 cuted for this offense, as I doubt whether they 

 destroy enough of other insects to compensate for 

 what b3es they kill. 



