8 SHARP EYES. 



coast clear, she flew quickly to the box and pitched in 

 her remaining straws with the greatest precipitation, 

 and, without going in to arrange them, as was her 

 wont, flew away in evident relief. 



In the cavity of an apple-tree but a few yards offj 

 and much nearer the house than they usually build, 

 a pair of high-holes, or golden-shafted woodpeckers, 

 took up their abode. A knot-hole which led to the 

 decayed interior was enlarged, the live wood being cut 

 away as clean as a squirrel would have done it. The 

 inside preparations I could not witness, but day after 

 day, as I passed near, I heard the bird hammering 

 away, evidently beating down obstructions and shap- 

 ing and enlarging the cavity. The chips were not 

 brought out, but were used rather to floor the interior. 

 The woodpeckers are not nest-builders, but rather 

 nest-carvers. 



The time seemed very short before the voices of the 

 young were heard in the heart of the old tree, — at 

 first feebly, but waxing stronger day by day until 

 they could be heard many rods distant. When I put 

 my hand upon the trunk of the tree, they would set 

 up an eager, expectant chattering ; but if I climbed 

 up it toward the opening, they soon detected the un- 

 usual sound and would hush quickly, only now and 

 then uttering a warning note. Long before they were 

 fully fledged they clambered up to the orifice to re- 

 ceive their food. As but one could stand in the open- 

 ing at a time, there was a good deal of elbowing and 

 struggling for this position. It was a very desirable 

 one aside from the advantages it had when food was 

 served ; it looked out upon the great shining world, 

 into which the young birds seemed never tired of gaz- 

 ing. Tlie fresh air must have been a consideration 



