ECCENTRICITIES OF COSTUME 275 



Moreover, who was the nondescript with 

 the black breast of masculinity and the 

 white throat and undecorated head of femi- 

 nine woodpeckerdom ? 



Are such eccentricities of costume common 

 in the sapsucker family ? 



None of these problems could I solve, 

 though I watched hours every day, when 

 watching was a warfare for the insect pests 

 which abounded. 



After a while, when the young were hatched 

 and both white-breasted birds were feeding, 

 the brilliant male came about again, climb- 

 ing the trees in the way that always suggests 

 the beanstalk hero of the nursery, " hitchity- 

 hatchet and up I go," sliding down and 

 waltzing around the trunk with a freedom 

 and ease to make one wonder ; then bringing 

 his prey to a stump and beating and wor- 

 rying it awhile before eating, calling his loud 

 cry, and making himself obvious in every 

 way, but never once approaching the nest. 



I shall never know the truth of the do- 

 mestic arrangements of that home in the 

 old stump, for a little later events put an 

 abrupt end to my study. 



