BIRD LIFE IN AN OLD APPLE-TREE 275 



were in turn ejected by myself, their furniture 

 of hens' feathers and straws pitched out, and 

 the bluebirds invited to return, which later in 

 the season they did. 



The new cavity which downy is now drilling 

 is just above the old one and near the top of 

 the stub. Its wells are usually sunk to a 

 depth of six or eight inches, but in the present 

 case it cannot be sunk more than four inches 

 without breaking through into the old cavity. 



Downy seems to have considered the situa- 

 tion, and is proceeding cautiously. As she 

 passed last night in her new quarters I am in- 

 clined to think it is about finished, and there 

 must be at least one inch of wood beneath her. 

 She worked vigorously the greater part of the 

 day, her yellow chips strewing the snow be- 

 neath. 



I paused several times to observe her proceed- 

 ings. 



After her chips accumulate she stops her 

 drilling and throws them out. This she does 

 with her beak, shaking them out very rapidly 

 with a flirt of her head. 



She did not disappear from sight each time 

 to load her beak, but withdrew her head and 

 appeared to seize the fragments as if from her 

 feet. If she had had a companion I should 

 have thought he was handing them up to her 

 from the bottom of the cavity. Maybe she had 

 them piled up near the doorway. 



The woodpeckers, both the hairy and the 

 downy, usually excavate these winter retreats 



