OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. ir>l 



we have known the female to follow her vanquished suitor. 

 Wheretwo males endeavor to woo the same female, the suc- 

 cessful mate, in these encounters, is always sure to be the ob- 

 ject of her choice. 



The place selected for a nest i.s ordinarily an apple-tree, 

 close by the habitation of man ; but, occasionally, a more 

 retired locality. We have sometimes discovered the nest in 

 the hollows of partially decayed willows, upon the margin of 

 ponds, which the birds had excavated for themselves. The 

 cavity ranges from 10 to 12 inches in depth, has a slightly 

 oblique descent, and is remarkably capacious and roomy at 

 the bottom. The entrance is just large enough to admit the 

 body of the bird. The labor of excavation is jointly per- 

 formed by both birds, who relieve each other by turns. The 

 one who is disengaged, most generally being close-by to en- 

 courage the other in the difficult task. Both birds work 

 with a perseverance and a will that are truly astonishing. 

 The time thus spent, varies from six to seven days, and de- 

 pends upon the hardness of the wood to be perforated, and 

 the diligence of the architects. 



In 1808, Mr. Wilson found seven nests of this species 

 within the limits of Philadelphia city, two of which were 

 constructed in button-woods, and one in the decayed branch 

 of an elm. The parent-birds would make regular excur- 

 sions to the forests beyond the Schuylkill, but would mani- 

 fest a greater silence and circumspection, than in more 

 sequestered places. According to this writer, the nests are 

 almost exclusively excavated in dead wood, rarely in living 

 wood, which has also been our experience. 



The nest being finished, the female after a brief vacation 

 of some two or three days, in which she is joined by her 

 partner, celebrates the occasion by a ramble through the 

 surrounding country, not so much for food, as for recreation 

 and enjoyment. After this brief tour is over, she returns to 

 the nest, and deposits her complement of eggs to the num- 

 ber of six, upon the bare bottom, or the few decayed chips 



