OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. lf>7 



creation. Where the hollow is covered by a great thickness 

 of solid wood, the boring is persevered in until the end is 

 gained. 



The labor of constructing a nest is mutual, and is often 

 continued with indefatigable industry until late at night. 

 The bird that is not occupied, does not fly away as if glad 

 to be released from such laborious work, but remains close- 

 bv and encourages his partner by gentle caresses. Wilson 

 mentions a case where a pair of these birds once dug a nest 

 in a solid black oak. The perforation extended forward for 

 five inches, and then downward for the space of ten inches 

 more. The time spent in this work varies from four days to 

 a week. 



The bottom of the cavity is slightly covered with a few 

 chips, which constitute the only nest. In some cases, even 

 these do not exist, and the eggs are deposited upon the hard 

 and highly smoothened bottom. The number of eggs varies 

 somewhat in different localities. In Eastern Pennsylvania 

 the usual complement is six. Mr. Audubon cites, on the 

 authority of Mr. MacCulloch, a single instance of a nest in 

 a rotten stump, which contained no less than eighteen young 

 birds of different ages, besides two unhatched eggs. It is 

 highly possible that several females, two at least, were con- 

 cerned in this remarkable contribution. Mr. C. S. Paine, 

 writing to Dr. Brewer, Oct, 1860. mentions a nest that 

 occupied the decayed summit of an old tree, which contained 

 twelve eggs. These were not disturbed, but on visiting the 

 nest a few days subsequently, the excavation was found to have 

 been deepenedfrom 18 to 24 inches. In some instances, Mr. 

 Paine has observed seven eggs in a nest, and in one particular 

 case, but three eggs. These were reached by cutting down 

 the limb on a level with them. After taking the eggs, the 

 place was visited on the following day, and found to be 

 deepened an entire foot, and another egg deposited. The 

 same writer has never known these birds to breed in dens,- 



