MY WOODLAND INTIMATES 



quaintances of the double house perhaps. Is ft 

 not wonderful that these little ones, in their ap- 

 parently perilous position, should be as safe and 

 comfortable as are our human children in their 

 early travels over carpeted floors and level grassy 

 stretches. As in the parent flickers' case, the 

 strong, bracing hind toes and the firmly planted 

 tails form the supports. 



There is much uncertain hammering and ama- 

 teur bark-searching going on among the young- 

 sters, but I fancy that the meal proper will be 

 furnished by the adult pair foraging so indus- 

 triously among the ant-hills yonder. 



Over w T here the overflow of the bird-bath 

 makes such soft, superior mud, I see a robin gath- 

 ering material for plastering a nest. Prepara- 

 tions for a second brood, or even a third, perhaps ; 

 as many of the youngsters of the first families 

 have already overtaken their parents in size, and 

 broods succeed each other rapidly in robin house- 

 holds. 



Judging from the tree-top commotion at twi- 

 light, I think yonder thickly wooded portion of 

 the grove must represent a " robin roost ; " and 

 to this bird dormitory or " robin academy " the 

 fathers seem to resort nightly with the elder chil- 



