50 THE WOODPECKERS 



nut he made the whole journey back and forth, 

 since he could carry but one at a time, ten 

 long trips back and forth, certainly consuming 

 several minutes each. 



Then each acorn had to be fitted to its hole. 

 We have already spoken of the accuracy with 

 which this is done, so that the Carpenter's work 

 is a standing taunt to the hungry jays and 

 squirrels which would gladly eat his nuts if 

 they could get them. A careful observer tells 

 us that when the hole is too small, the wood- 

 pecker takes the acorn out and makes the hole 

 a little larger, working so cautiously, however, 

 that he sometimes makes several trials before the 

 acorn can be fitted and driven in flush with the 

 bark. Some of these acorns show cracks down 

 the sides, as if they had been split either in 

 forcibly pulling them out of a hole not deep 

 enough for them, or in driving them when 

 green and soft into a hole too small for them. 

 Of course after each trial the acorn must be 

 hunted up where it lies on the ground and 

 driven in again, and this takes considerable 

 time. 



As nearly as we can estimate it, not less than 

 half a day must have been spent in putting 

 these acorns where we find them. With smaller 

 acorns, stored in pine bark, less time would have 



