WOODPECKERS AND THEIR ALLIES 67 



full upon, stretching out their wings, humping 

 up their backs, and bluffing our their breast 

 feathers a lot of black, drenched, ragged- 

 looking scarecrows. From the noise they 

 are making one would fancy that they did 

 not like their wetting, the croaks, barks, and 

 gorbles from the lot of them make such a rare 

 to-do. 



A couple of hares are looping along the 

 sandy part of the road, drying their feet ; three 

 more are sitting up on some old mole hillocks. 

 Directly we have passed along they will come 

 out on the road and join their companions ; for 

 they are sociable beings at the season when 

 the little black and white drummer performs ; 

 and for a time they carry on high jinks. 



Three rolls ring out in succession, with only 

 a few seconds of pause between, and you hear 

 the sound from them floating off into the dis- 

 tance. Then answering echoes ring out from 

 the old oaks under the hills ; and, close to us, 

 the first performer drums again. It is exactly 

 like two drummer boys signalling to each other 

 with their side-drums. 



Unless this handsome, nimble dwarf of a 

 woodpecker visits fruit trees in gardens, he 

 is very rarely to be seen, even by those who 



