150 WINTER NEIGHBORS. 



one in which nidification takes place. So far as I 

 have observed, these cavities are drilled out only by 

 the males. Where the females take up their quar- 

 ters I am not so well informed, though I suspect that 

 they use the abandoned holes of the males of the 

 previous year. 



The particular woodpecker to which I refer drilled 

 his first hole in my apple-tree one fall four or five 

 years ago. This he occupied till the following spring, 

 when he abandoned it. The next fall he began a hole 

 in an adjoining limb, later than before, and when it 

 was about half completed a female took possession of 

 his old quarters. I am sorry to say that this seemed 

 to enrage the male very much, and he persecuted the 

 poor bird whenever she appeared upon the scene. He 

 would fly at her spitefully and drive her off. One 

 chilly November morning, as I passed under the tree, 

 I heard the hammer of the little architect in his cav- 

 ity, and at the same time saw the persecuted female 

 sitting at the entrance of the other hole as if she would 

 fain come out. She was actually shivering, probably 

 from both fear and cold. I understood the situation 

 at a glance ; the bird was afraid to come forth and 

 brave the anger of the male. Not till I had rapped 

 smartly upon the limb with my stick did she come 

 out and attempt to escape ; but she had not gone ten 

 feet from the tree before the male was in hot pur- 

 suit, and in a few moments had driven her back to 

 the same tree, where she tried to avoid him among 

 the branches. A few days after, he rid himself of 



