EL CARPINTERO 51 



been required ; but weeks, if not months, of 

 work are spent in laying up the winter's stores. 



How the woodpecker's back and jaws must 

 have ached ! Surely he is human enough to get 

 tired with his work, and it is not play to do what 

 this bird has done. Some of the acorns measure 

 seven tenths of an inch in diameter by nine 

 tenths in length, and the bird that carried them 

 is smaller than a robin. How he must have 

 hurried to reach his tree when the acorn was 

 extra large ! Yet he took time to drive every 

 one in point foremost. Even those that lie 

 upon their sides must have been forced into 

 position by tapping the butt. He knows very 

 well which end of an acorn is which, does our 

 Carpenter. 



But what is the use of all this work ? Why, 

 if he wants acorns, does he not eat them as they 

 lie scattered under the oaks, instead of taking 

 pains to carry them away and put them into 

 holes for the fun of eating them out of the 

 holes afterward? The absurdity of this has 

 led some people to surmise that the Carpenter 

 chooses none but weevilly acorns, and stores 

 them that the grub inside may grow large and 

 fat and delicious. This would be very interest- 

 ing, if it were true. There must of course be 

 more weevilly acorns on the ground than he 



