The Red-Headed Woodpecker 261 



fangled entrance, she halted, showing her disapproval in many 

 ways. He made many efforts during the next two days to 

 overcome her objections. She was obdurate, and, after sitting 

 quiet until he was through his demonstrations and chatter, she 

 flew away over the fields, uttering a loud cry as she left him 

 sticking to the side of the tree. He sat still a few moments, 

 seemingly in a brown study, then he began hopping about the 

 trunk of the tree, where in a short time he had selected a place 

 and gone to work with a will in making a new nest, that was 

 completed in a little more than eight days. Very little was 

 seen of the female during the completion of the new home. 

 She was in the yard a few times, but never near the tree where 

 the male was at work. He had made no mistake this time, the 

 entrance was round and cut clean as an augur hole. When the 

 madam was escorted to the new nest there was no hesitancy 

 about inspecting it ; she entered at once. Coming out a moment 

 later, she made it known that the nest was satisfactory. The 

 old man was jubilant, expressing it by voice and action." I 

 leave the matter with the reader to judge which of them builds 

 the nest. 



The eggs of the red-headed woodpecker are a pure white 

 color, short and almost ovate. An egg is laid daily; from 

 four to eight eggs constitute a clutch. Incubation 

 lasts about two weeks, and both sexes assist in it. Mr. Lewis 

 in his account of My Red-Headed Neighbor during their 

 fourth year with him says that "Household affairs went along 

 smoothly till one day the old man was keeping house while 

 the madam had gone out for lunch. At the expiration of about 

 twenty minutes he came out of the nest. As he flew away 

 he gave a loud call that on former occasions had invariably 

 brought his mate to take charge of the nest, but to this call 

 she did not answer. She never returned. He waited a few 

 moments, calling for her, then returned to the nest. Ten min- 

 utes later he came out again repeating the call several times as 

 he flew from the tree to the house and back again to the nest, 

 about which he showed much concern. Five minutes more and 

 for the third time he left the nest, flying down in the orchard 

 where the female often went for food. Soon returning he went 

 direct to the nest, seeming to understand that some misfor- 



